Chloramine removal for Austin area homes
Many Texas utilities disinfect with chloramine instead of plain chlorine. It's chlorine combined with a small amount of ammonia, and it lasts longer in the pipes. That's good for the utility's job of keeping water safe all the way to your tap.
The tradeoff is that chloramine is harder to filter out than chlorine. A lot of basic filters barely touch it. If you can still taste or smell it after filtering, that's usually why.
Typical installed price
$2,000 to $4,000
Your exact price comes in writing after the free test. What changes the price
Does my utility use chloramine?
It depends on where you live. Your utility's annual water quality report lists the disinfectant it uses. Each of our city pages links to the report for the utilities that serve that city.
If you're not sure, the free water test checks for it at your tap.
What actually removes chloramine
Catalytic carbon is the standard answer. It's carbon that has been treated to break down chloramine much more effectively than regular activated carbon. It needs more contact time, so the system has to be sized right.
Reverse osmosis systems include carbon stages ahead of the membrane, which also protects the membrane from chloramine damage.
- Whole house catalytic carbon: covers every tap and shower
- Under sink RO with carbon stages: covers drinking and cooking water
- Shower filters: small and limited, but better than nothing
A note on fish tanks and gardens
Chloramine doesn't gas off if you let water sit out the way chlorine does. If you keep fish or brew beer, you've probably already run into this. A properly sized catalytic carbon system reduces it for the whole house.
Request a free water test
What happens next
- We pass your request to a local water treatment installer.
- They call you to pick a time for the free test.
- At your home they test the water and give you a written quote. You decide from there.
Chloramine removal near you
Water is different from one utility to the next. Pick your city to see what your local water report says.
Related services
- Whole house water filtrationFiltered water at every tap, shower, and appliance in the house.Typical price$2,000 to $4,000
- Reverse osmosis systemsClean drinking and cooking water from a faucet at your kitchen sink.Typical price$600 to $1,500
- Free in home water testA local pro tests your water at the tap and explains the results in plain English.Typical priceFree
Common questions
What's the difference between chlorine and chloramine?
Chloramine is chlorine bonded with ammonia. It's more stable, so it stays in the water longer as it travels through the pipes. That also makes it harder to filter out.
Will letting water sit out remove chloramine?
Not really. Chlorine can gas off from standing water, but chloramine is much more stable and stays put. Filtration with the right media is the reliable way to reduce it.
Does a regular carbon filter remove chloramine?
Only a little, and only with a lot of contact time. Catalytic carbon is designed for it and does a much better job.
How do I know if my water has chloramine?
Check your utility's water quality report, which names the disinfectant. The free in home water test also checks total chlorine at your tap.
Find out what's in your water
Request a free in home water test. A local installer checks hardness, chlorine or chloramine, and dissolved solids at your tap, then gives you a written quote.