The West View Water Authority – Cranberry’s sole supplier of municipal drinking water – recently announced that it will transition its water treatment process from chlorine to chloramine starting June 6. West View is making the conversion to comply with more stringent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards regarding health risks associated with disinfection byproducts in chlorinated drinking water.
The EPA and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection widely accept the use of chloramines as a safe and effective treatment to prevent the waterborne transmission of parasites which are capable of causing sickness. Most customers will not notice any changes following the transition, except some might notice that the taste and odor of chlorine is reduced.
Water treated with chloramines is safe to use for drinking, bathing, cooking and all other normal water uses. However, chloramines, like chlorine, must be removed from the water prior to dialysis treatment. If you have a home dialysis machine, consult with your health care provider to make sure your unit is capable of removing chloramines from the water prior to use. Contact your physician if you have any health related questions.
However, fish, amphibians and reptiles need to be protected against chloramines, just as they are against chlorine. Chloramine must be removed from the water prior to filling aquariums and ponds. Most pet stores sell products that can be easily added to the water to remove chloramines. For more information, contact your aquarium supply or pet supply store.
Additional resource information is available from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, www.dep.pa.gov