A question we get all the time… got submitted to us again over the weekend. ‘TinaToes’ asked,

“The chlorine in our water from the city tastes and smells horrible. Can we put a simple filter in and how much would it cost? thx”

Well, Tina, or should we call you Miss Toes? Ha ha. Lots of companies make filters for chlorine (thankfully!) and each one has its advantages and disadvantages. Recently we came across two stainless steel countertop filters made by Paragon that we think deserve consideration if you want to get a quality filter that won’t break the bank.

The P3060 Tested and Certified by NSF International to NSF/ANSI Standard 42 for the aesthetic reduction of Chlorine and the P3200 Tested and Certified to NSF/ANSI Std. 42 for the aesthetic reduction of Chlorine, Taste and Odor, Chloramines and Nominal Particulate Class I and to Std. 53 for the reduction of Lead, Cyst, Mercury, VOC, MTBE and Turbidity.

Another thing we REALLY like: Both units come with price tags well under $150!

So, Miss Toes, we hope you get a chance review the specs on both these units and that we have hopefully at least given you a starting point for your quest to rid your water of its pool-like chlorine nature.

Oh, and in case you would also like to get the chlorine smell out of your shower water, Paragon makes a really compact and convenient shower wand that has a built-in filter that “Tested and Certified by NSF International to NSF/ANSI Standard 177 for the reduction of free available Chlorine.”

The HSF handheld shower filter has an expected 10,000 gallon life expectancy, 5-function massage head, reduces free (available) chlorine by more than 98%, helps to cut down on calcium/soap/shower scum in the tub, may help with certain itchy skin conditions, installs without the need for tools, and has an easily replaced NSF Certified filter cartridge that costs around $20.

From what we have heard, this unit has made appearances on several daytime talk shows and gotten rave reviews from health experts, consumer product testing groups, and its users.

Recently we got asked who should consider installing a commercial water filter. The person who asked the question, Sylvan, owns for a restaurant whose tap water routinely tastes and smells like bleach water. Needless to say ice from their ice maker has a hideous taste and smell.

For the past few years Sylvan lugged 5 gallon bottles of water around and paid a ton of money each week just so that his customers didn’t have to eat food cooked in chlorine and drink water that he currently refers to as ‘pool water’.

Sylvan had his water tested by a local lab and also tested it himself (using SenSafe Free Chlorine & SenSafe Total Chlorine) and the results always showed that his water contained far less free and total chlorine than the MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level) set by the USEPA — but that certainly did nothing about the stench of chlorine in his water.

In a case like this where a whole KITCHEN in a restaurant needs better quality water we believe devices like inline filters for ice makers and undersink water filters will not get the job done.

For applications where multiple unwanted water contaminants need to get removed on a larger scale (i.e. for a restaurant’s kitchen), commercial water filters stand out as ideal filtration options.

Other places where commercial water filters make the most sense include large private residences (over 4000 sq.feet), businesses, manufacturing facilities, apartment buildings, retail establishments, and schools.

Simply put, the total chlorine concentration in a water sample includes all available free chlorine plus all the chlorine that has already oxidized (acted on) contaminants in the water and become combined chlorine (monochloramines).

Free (available) chlorine refers to the concentration of chlorine molecules residing a water sample that have not, yet, oxidized contaminants. As a general rule you want to maintain a free chlorine residual in a body of water or water source.

Therefore, if a water sample has a total chlorine residual but no free, available chlorine, then the sample may or may not be ‘safe’. Some public (municipal) drinking water systems use only combined chlorine

Why would they do that?

It seems counter-intuitive that a public water systems would choose combined chlorine over free chlorine given free chlorine’s superior disinfecting (oxidizing) properties, but monochloramines do still have oxidizing capabilities and they do not create compounds (disinfection by-products, tri-halomethames, TTHM’s, etc.) that may cause cancer.

So… if you want to know how much free chlorine you have versus how much combined chlorine you have, simply subtract the free chlorine concentration from the total chlorine concentration:

(Total Chlorine) – (Free Chlorine) = Combined Chlorine

For pool water you can use a test strip like the Pool Check 5-Way or a Basic Taylor Test Kit to determine the free and total chlorine concentrations of a sample.

For drinking water you can use test strips like SenSafe Free Chlorine Water Check to determine the free chlorine concentration of a water sample and SenSafe Total Chlorine Water Check to determine the total chlorine concentration of a water sample.

OR, for an even easier test procedure, you can use the WaterWorks 2 Free & Total Chlorine Test Strip which tests for both free and total chlorine at the same time.

When opening a swimming pool too many people forget to TEST THE WATER before adding chemicals… Whether you choose to test the water yourself w/ test kits like the eXact Micro 7+ Pool Testing Meter or Pool Check Test Strips, or visit your local pool supply store and have them test your water at the beginning of the season, you will want to test for all or as many of these water quality parameters as possible. Note:

• Alkalinity – Not having the correct amount of alkalinity in your water will make getting and keeping the pH of your pool water very difficult.

• Calcium Hardness – Having too much calcium in your water could result in deposits forming and could also make it harder for other chemicals to dissolve in the water. Too little calcium in the water could result in pool water becoming aggressive and starting to attack various pool surfaces.

• Chlorine (Free) – If you use chlorine as your sanitizer, check to see if you have any left over from last year… or risk adding more than you need to add at the beginning of the year and ‘wasting’ money.

• Chlorine (Total) – If you use chlorine as your sanitizer and shocked your pool at the end of the previous season (as you SHOULD have), then you may have a lot of combined chlorine in your water that needs to get ‘burned out’ w/ a non-chlorine shock. Combined chlorine does little good when it comes to keeping pool water clean.

• pH – Incorrect pH levels drastically reduce the effectiveness of important pool chemicals such as bromine, chlorine, clarifiers, algaecides, etc.

• Metals – Having unwanted metals such as copper and iron in your pool water when you shock it w/ an oxidizer like chlorine or bromine at the beginning of the season could cause the metals to precipitate out of solution and stain pool surfaces.

• Stabilizer – Also known as cyanuric acid, having too little of this compound in pool water makes it difficult to maintain a free chlorine residual. Having too much of it can keep chlorine in a pool from doing its job.

• Total Dissolved Solids – Too many total dissolved solids in pool water will result in the water not accepting additional material… such as the chlorine powder (granules), tablets, sticks, or pool chemistry balancing chemicals.

So, get your water tested before adding start-up chemicals. Any questions?

Today’s inquiry came to us from The United Arab Emirates and their inquiry dealt with DPD-1 (What is DPD?, the chemical reagent used to detect free chlorine in a water sample. Mohanad asked,

Dear Sir

Please could you quote a best price for: Chorine- DPD Free Reagent Qty:600 Pk, each pk containing 100 pillows

When testing for free chlorine most test methods use DPD-1 as the test reagent, though in the United States the USEPA has approved an alternate method (SenSafe Free Chlorine Water Check) for testing free chlorine levels in drinking water.

Where to Buy DPD-1 Test Reagents

We have found that online pool stores such as serve as very convenient place to purchase DPD-1 test reagents. As of right now, In the Swim has 1,000 DPD-1 tablets (for use in 10mL samples) available for less than 5 cents per test!

Easier to Use Form of DPD-1 Chlorine Test Reagent?

Looking for an equivalent but easier way to test free chlorine using your existing meter or test system that uses a 10mL sample size? If so, DPD-1 ReagentStrips function the same as or better than traditional DPD-1 test tablets, powders and liquids.

For a simple demonstration of how the DPD-1 ReagentStrips for free chlorine testing work in a Hach water quality testing meter, take a look at this free chlorine testing flowchart that illustrates how much easier DPD-1 ReagenetStrips make free chlorine testing.

Today’s inquiry came to us from ‘Kishore’ who asked a question about a liquid test reagent that turned yellow when added to a sample of water containing chlorine-based water disinfection tablets.

Dear Sir, I mixed chlorine tablets(water purification Tablets) in water. my friend taken water in Test tube. mixed one drop of liquid then water color changed in yellow. what is name of that liquid. how to by that.please can sent details.

Hello, Kishore, and thank you for the inquiry about a liquid test reagent that turns yellow in the presence of chlorine. Based upon your description we suspect your friend used a chemical called ‘OTO’ to perform the testing. OTO stands for Orthotolidine dihydrochloride. It test for total chlorine (free chlorine plus combined chlorine collectively).

You can find OTO in most pool supply stores, as it normally comes in the more basic pool water testing kits for total chlorine and pH, the two most commonly tested pool water quality parameters.

Many companies also sell the two reagents separately since they do tend to ‘go bad’ after a year once opened and exposed to air.

If you want to perform more precise chlorine concentration testing for free chlorine, the compound most people have the most interest in (usually) when attempting to determine if water has had the proper amount of disinfectant added to it, you will want to invest in a drinking water test kit that uses DPD-based reagents. ( What is DPD? )

For an even simpler means of testing the chlorine levels in water samples you may want to consider a product such as the SenSafe Free Chlorine Water Check, an EPA Approved method for determining free chlorine concentrations in drinking water, or the WaterWorks 2 Free & Total Chlorine product that uses the same free chlorine testing method as the SenSafe Free Chlorine Water Check and also includes a separate test area for total chlorine.

Want to know more about the differences between free and total chlorine? Check out an article called Free Chlorine, Combined Chlorine, Total Chlorine.

One more thing about OTO before we go: We have heard that some countries have outlawed its use due to scientists having evidence that it may cause cancer in humans… so check local laws before making a purchase!

We hope this helps!

Anyone that has taken the initiative to install a water filter or water purification device/system in their home deserves a bit of praise… and those that continue to take an interest in the quality of their water after installing a water treatment system deserve even MORE for their efforts.

As an example, ‘J. Mampilly’ from India installed a system and now seeks to determine if he has installed the correct unit. He asked,

I would like to know about how i can confirm the effectiveness of my water purifier. Labs in India that can certify and throw light on the camparative quality of water before and after using a water purifier. Thank You

Unfortunately we do not have familiarity with water testing laboratories in India and cannot directly assist with this situation. We can suggest, however, that you contact your local health department and ask them for a list of certified water testing laboratories in your area.

Coliform Bacteria Test Kit

Before…

In order to know what type of filter or what filtering capabilities you should purchase, invest (yes, we said invest) in a thorough water analysis performed by a qualified water testing laboratory. Here, again, we suggest contacting your local board of health and asking them, for a list of certified drinking water testing labs. Alternatively, or if no labs exist in your immediate vicinity, you can use the services of accredited water testing companies such as National Testing Labs.

No matter what, though, always have your water tested BEFORE deciding on a water treatment system. Oh, and one more thing: Don’t think for one second that a salesperson doing an in-home water test has the same water testing tools or qualifications as a reputable water testing laboratory. Remember: 99% of all salespeople attempt to sell things and not accurately analyze a situation — especially if accurately diagnosing a situation could cost them a sale!

And after!

As ‘J. Mampilly’ has done, we should ALL take an interest in comparing the quality of water that comes out of our water filter systems. Only then will we know if the money we invested in (not spent on!) a quality drinking water filter system performs as expected.

Testing water quality beforehand gives us not only an idea of what we need to filter out of our water, but also a checklist of water quality parameters to monitor post-filtration. Should follow up water testing reveal that these ‘issues’ did not get corrected or suddenly show up months after the installation of a water system, perhaps the water filter has stopped working or never really worked properly in the first place and needs service of some sort.

And in conclusion…

Many people go through life ‘deaf, dumb and blind’ when it comes to the quality of their water — until an (initially) unexplainable health problem pops into their life. Then, and unfortunately sometimes too late, those same people get very interested in the quality of their water and want to punish or otherwise penalize others for allowing them to consume tainted, polluted and/or contaminated drinking water.

Although we feel much sympathy for the victims of poor quality drinking water, most of us here in the United States have the ability to at least once every great while perform basic testing for critical water quality parameters such as heavy metals (i.e. lead, mercury, copper, iron, etc.), coliform bacteria, pesticides (i.e. atrazine and simazine), chlorine levels (free and/or total), total hardness, total dissolved solids, and many others.

Many times the contaminants in a water supply will have no taste, carry no odor and not appear before the naked eye. Only testing will alert you to their presence.

Every so often we receive questions from readers who ask something along the lines of, “What do most people ask about?”

Seemed odd at first (several years ago), but after getting asked the same thing so many times we eventually came to the conclusion that a good number of people really and truly don’t know what questions they ought to have about the quality of their drinking water.

Therefore, for your reading pleasure we will now give a list of the 10 most popular topics on Water Testing Blog for the month of August (2011):

1. Free Chlorine, Total Chlorine and Combined Chlorine
    
2. Testing for Fluoride in Water
    
3. Converting Hardness: Grains per Gallon to Parts per Million
    
4. What is DPD?
    
5. Chlorine Testing: Drinking Water vs. Pool Water
    
6. Simple Chlorine Testing Meter
    
7. Dirty Pool Water Can Make You Very Sick
    
8. Testing for Chlorine in Drinking Water
    
9. Lead in Soil
    
10. Private Well Water and Natural Gas Drilling

In no way does the above list begin to scratch the surface of what curious folks read on our site, but it may help you decide what questions YOU want answered… and if you come up with a question or topic you’d like us to address, send it to us using our submit a comment/question form.

It did, however, kind of shock us that hydraulic fracturing (aka: fracking), a means of extracting natural gas from shale buried deep beneath the Earth’s surface, came in so low on the list given the amount of (bad) publicity hydraulic fracturing has received in the past few years.

We also found it somewhat odd that bacteria in water did not make a single appearance in the list but then again, most folks in the United States have city/municipal water and make the assumption that city/municipal water couldn’t ever contain something as common as bacteria — and that, friends, can sometimes become a dangerous assumption to make!

WARNING: We provide the following emergency water purification method for use strictly as a general guide and not as a guaranteed method for manufacturing safe, clean drinking water. Every emergency situation has different factors these instructions do not take into account. We make no guarantee that these instructions will work in all situations.

With that out of the way, please remember that the best preparation for an emergency begins long before the event takes or looms on the immediate horizon. Properly planning and preparing by stockpiling clean drinking water, emergency rations, candles, a radio that receives NOAA broadcasts, weather resistant gear, waterproof matches, a tarp, blankets, medical supplies, a supply unscented chlorine bleach, etc. can lessen the immediate sting of a short-term emergency and make surviving longer emergencies more likely.

1. After collecting the water in a container, let any suspended particles settle to the bottom and gently pour the clear water off the top into a second container. Filter this water using a clean piece of cloth or coffee filter to remove any remaining particles.

2. To disinfect by boiling, bring the water to a rolling boil and boil for a least 1 minute. Boil longer at high attitudes or if the water is from a source suspected to have Giardia or other protozoa (5 minutes boiling time is recommended at 10,000 feet above sea level). Boiling will kill disease-causing microorganisms present in water, but will concentrate non-volatile chemical contaminates, so it is unwise to boil for longer than necessary.

3. Let the water cool at least 30 minutes. You can re-oxygenate the water by pouring the water back and forth between two clean containers. This will improve the taste.

4. To disinfect by chlorination, use ordinary household chlorine bleach. Sodium hypochlorite with a concentration of 5.25% to 6% should be the only active ingredient in the bleach. There should not be any added soap or fragrances. One major bleach manufacturer has also added sodium hydroxide as an active ingredient, which will not pose a health risk for water treatment. Add 16 drops (¼ teaspoon) of liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water, or 8 drops per 2-liter bottle of water. Stir to mix. If you do not have a dropper, use the following (instructions) to measure the correct amount of bleach.

8 drops = 1/8 teaspoon, 16 drops = 1/4 teaspoon and 32 drops = 1/2 teaspoon.

5. Let the water stand 30 minutes to give the chlorine time to kill the microorganisms present. This method is not guaranteed to be effective against certain encysted protozoa.

6. If it smells of chlorine, you can use it. If it does not smell of chlorine, add 16 more drops of chlorine bleach per gallon of water (or 8 drops per 2-liter bottle of water), stir, let it stand 30 minutes, and smell it again. If it smells of chlorine, you can use it. If it does not smell of chlorine, discard it and find another source of water. The only agent used to purify water should be household liquid bleach. Other chemicals, such as iodine or water treatment products sold in camping or surplus stores that do not contain 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite are not recommended.

7. If the chlorine taste in the water is too strong after disinfection, pour it from one clean container to another several times. This will drive some of the chlorine off as a gas, lowering the level of chlorine in the water and improving the taste.

Source: Emergency Water Supplies and Treatment (Fact Sheet No. 6.704 by R. Waskom)

Not to sound like a broken record, but the creators of the instructions above (and ANY instructions you read on the internet or in books/magazines) could not possibly know the exact specifics of every situation where a person or group needs to create safe drinking water. Nor could they know the full list of contaminants one might find in their source water. Use the above instructions as a general guide only.

Earlier this Summer we discussed this same topic and we feel quite certain that we will discuss it many more times in the future. Today’s inquiry comes to us from ‘JerseyGuy82560′ who asked,

Sas your answer regarding chlorine not lasting long with the answer being that liquid chlorine without a stablizer was probably the problem. I’m using powdered shock and put 2 pounds in last night at 10 PM. This morning at 6 AM, there was just a trace of chlorine. I don’t want to empty the pool in the middle of the season, so can I use conditioner to make the chlorine last longer? Thank you.

Thank you for your question, JerseyGuy. Many of the powdered (also called granular) shocks on the market have calcium as their base and do not possess stabilizer. For that reason the situation you described where 2 pounds of shock literally vanished overnight makes sense… providing you have not added chlorine stabilizer to the water at some point.

If you have not added any stabilizer (cyanuric acid) this year, then certainly putting some in now should help you maintain a healthy chlorine residual in your pool water.

If, on the other hand, you have added chlorine stabilizer and still cannot maintain a healthy chlorine level, you either have an abundance of contaminants in the water that require your chlorine’s immediate attention or you may not have enough chlorine stabilizer in the water.

Testing for Chlorine Stabilizer?

Several different test methods for cyanuric acid exist: 1) Wet Kits; 2) Test Strips; 3) Water Testing Meters.

• Wet Kits for Stabilizer Testing: Test kits of this nature use a chemical reagent that reacts with chlorine stabilizer to create a white substance in test samples which makes the water turbid and difficult to see through. Analysts then measure chlorine stabilizer levels as a function of turbidity.

• Test Strips for Stabilizer Testing: Test kits of this sort use a small piece of chemically impregnated cloth which changes color in the presence of cyanuric acid. Analysts then measure chlorine stabilizer levels as a function of change in color.

• Meters for Stabilizer Testing: These devices typically use the same principles as wet kits for determining cyanuric acid levels in pool water samples except the meter interprets turbidity levels instead of analysts taking the measurements. Given the very subjective nature of quantifying turbidity in a sample, meters generally tend to give more accurate and repeatable results.

So, JerseyGuy, if you have clear water at this time and still cannot maintain a proper chlorine residual, first we suggest determining if you have any stabilizer already in your water. Then we suggest bringing the level up to around 30 or 40 parts per million.

We hope this helps!