New disinfectant, chloramine, added to local drinking water New disinfectant, chloramine, added to local drinking water (February 04, 2004)

Starting this week, 2.4 million Bay Area residents -- including those in Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley and Woodside -- will have a change in their water as the disinfectant is changed from chlorine to chloramine.

Officials from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, which has built three new treatment plants to make the change, said chloramine is a better disinfectant that lasts longer in water and meets strict state and federal health standards. Water disinfected this way is safe for drinking, cooking, bathing and other uses, PUC public relations officer Lillian Brown said in a press release.

But because chloramine lasts longer in water than chlorine, fish owners will need to take extra care to neutralize or remove it from aquariums or ponds, Ms. Brown said. The necessary treatment products can be purchased at many aquarium supply stores, she said.

Like chlorine, chloramine can also be harmful to kidney dialysis patients, so the California Department of Health Services is inspecting dialysis facilities to upgrade their equipment to remove chloramine from the water, according to a PUC brochure.

Businesses that use highly processed water, such as biotech companies, are also advised to take special precautions.

Customers may notice a change in the odor and taste of their drinking water during the transition period when water with chloramine replaces that with chlorine, but this change will be temporary, and the water will still be safe to drink, Ms. Brown said.

For more information, call (415) 351-4200 or go to better.sfwater.org.

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