Why Your Tap Water Smells Like Bleach, and How to Remove It?

Nothing ruins a refreshing glass of water quite like that harsh chlorine smell hitting your nose. Your tap water gets this bleach-like odor because water treatment facilities add chlorine in drinking water to eliminate dangerous microorganisms before it reaches your home. Though this chlorination process is essential for safe drinking water, most people can't stand the tap water chlorine taste it creates. The good news is you don't have to live with it - there are several effective solutions for how to remove chlorine from water, including affordable carbon filters and comprehensive reverse osmosis water filter systems.

Why Does My Tap Water Taste and Smell Like Chlorine?

Your Water Company Adds Chlorine to Kill Germs

Your tap water comes from rivers, lakes, or wells. Your water company cleans it by removing dirt and big particles. Then they add chlorine to kill bacteria, viruses, and other germs that could make you sick.

Chlorine Stays in Your Water All the Way to Your Faucet

When water companies add chlorine, it kills germs in minutes. The chlorine stays in your water as it moves through pipes to your house. This keeps killing any new germs that get into the pipes along the way.

Some Areas Use More Chlorine Than Others

Water can have 0.2 to 4.0 parts per million of chlorine and still be safe. Most people smell and taste chlorine when it reaches 1.0 parts per million. Water companies use more chlorine in summer when germs grow faster, or after fixing broken pipes.

Sometimes Your Water Company Uses Extra Chlorine

If your water suddenly smells much stronger, your water company probably added extra chlorine to fix a problem. This usually lasts a few days. Call your water company if the smell lasts more than a week. Also call if hot water smells stronger than cold water - this might mean your water heater has a problem.

Is Chlorinated Tap Water Safe to Drink?

Yes, chlorinated tap water is safe to drink. The EPA sets strict limits on how much chlorine can be in your water, and utilities stay well below those limits. Chlorinated water has saved millions of lives by stopping deadly diseases that used to kill people regularly.

Chlorine Stops You From Getting Sick From Water

Before we started adding chlorine to water in the early 1900s, people regularly died from diseases they caught from drinking contaminated water. Cholera could kill entire families in days. Typhoid fever was one of the top causes of death. Dysentery and hepatitis A sent thousands to hospitals every year. Now these diseases are almost unheard of in America because chlorine kills the germs that cause them before you drink the water.

Some Studies Raise Questions About Drinking Chlorinated Water Long-Term

A few research studies have found that people who drink chlorinated water their whole lives might have slightly higher rates of bladder and colon cancer. But the increased risk is very small, and not all studies agree on this. Scientists are more worried about chemicals that form when chlorine mixes with leaves and other natural materials in water. Even so, most doctors and public health experts say the protection chlorine gives you from deadly diseases is much more important than these small possible risks.

The Government Watches Chlorine Levels Closely

The EPA says water companies can't put more than 4.0 parts per million of chlorine in drinking water. Most water systems keep it between 0.2 and 2.0 parts per million - way under the safety line. Water companies have to test chlorine levels every single day and report the numbers to state health officials. If chlorine levels ever get too high, the water company has to tell customers right away and fix the problem immediately.

The Hidden Problem: Chlorine Creates Other Chemicals in Your Water

THMs Form When Chlorine Mixes With Natural Stuff in Water

Trihalomethanes, or THMs, are chemicals that show up when chlorine bumps into natural things like rotting leaves, algae, and dirt in your water. When chlorine kills germs, it also combines with these organic materials and creates four main THM chemicals: chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane, and bromoform. Water that comes from rivers and lakes usually has more THMs because there's more organic stuff floating around compared to well water from underground.

THMs Can Cause Health Problems Over Time

If you drink water with high THM levels for many years, you might have a higher chance of getting bladder cancer, liver problems, or issues with having babies. Some studies show pregnant women with high THM exposure have more miscarriages and birth defects. But here's the thing - these health problems usually happen when THM levels are way higher than what most Americans drink. You're still much safer drinking chlorinated water with some THMs than drinking water full of deadly bacteria.

Finding Out Your Water's THM Levels

Your water company tests for THMs four times a year and has to tell you the results in your yearly water quality report. You can find this report on their website or just call and ask for it. The government says THM levels can't go over 80 parts per billion on average over a year. You can also pay a lab about $150-300 to test your specific water, or call the EPA's drinking water hotline at 1-800-426-4791 if you need help reading the results.

Does Boiling Water Remove Chlorine?

Boiling water removes some chlorine but doesn't work on chloramines, and it may actually concentrate other harmful chemicals like THMs.

Boiling Only Gets Rid of Some Types of Chlorine

If you boil water for 15-20 minutes, most regular chlorine will evaporate out because it turns into gas when heated. This cuts down on the chlorine taste and smell. But many water companies now use chloramines instead of regular chlorine, and boiling doesn't get rid of those. Plus, boiling might actually make THMs more concentrated as the water evaporates, and it can mess up the balance of other chemicals.

Why Boiling Water Is More Trouble Than It's Worth

Boiling takes forever and uses a lot of energy, then you have to wait for the water to cool down before you can drink it. You can only do small amounts at a time, so forget about using it for cooking or washing. Boiled water tastes weird and flat because you've removed the oxygen that makes water taste fresh. And remember, boiling might fix part of the chlorine problem while making other chemical problems worse.

These Methods Work Better Than Boiling

Regular carbon filters pull out both chlorine and chloramines right away without any heating or waiting around. If you just leave water sitting out in a pitcher for 24 hours, some chlorine will disappear on its own, though this doesn't work for chloramines and takes way too long. You can also drop a tiny bit of vitamin C powder into water - about 40mg per gallon - and it kills the chlorine taste instantly.

4 Ways That Actually Work to Get Chlorine Out of Water

Water Filter Pitchers and Faucet Filters

These filters use activated carbon that grabs chlorine molecules as water goes through. Pitcher filters like Brita cost $20-40 and work for 2-3 months before you need a new filter. Faucet filters that screw onto your kitchen tap cost $25-60 and last 3-4 months. Under-sink filters cost $100-300, hook up under your counter, and handle more water. Just remember - Replace the filter regularly, when filters get old, they stop working and can make your water taste nasty.

Reverse Osmosis Systems Remove Almost Everything

Reverse Osmosis systems force water through a super-fine screen that blocks chlorine, THMs, and tons of other stuff you don't want. You can get countertop units for $200-500 or under-sink systems for $300-800. They remove 95-99% of chlorine and work on chloramines too. The downside is they're slower than regular filters, waste some water while they work, and take out good minerals along with the bad stuff.

Whole House Systems Filter All Your Water

The whole house systems clean all the water coming into your house, so every faucet, your shower, and washing machine get filtered water. They cost $500-1,500 to buy and install, and you'll spend $100-200 every 6-12 months on new filters. But you get chlorine-free water everywhere in your house, which also protects your pipes and appliances from chlorine damage.

Simple Tricks: Wait It Out or Add Vitamin C

You can leave water in an open pitcher for 24 hours and some chlorine will just float away - though this only works for regular chlorine, not chloramines. Adding vitamin C powder or tablets kills both types of chlorine right away. Use about 40mg of vitamin C powder per gallon (that's roughly 1/16 of a teaspoon). This costs almost nothing and works instantly, but it changes the taste slightly.

Pitcher filters are cheap to buy but add up over time because you're always buying new filters - about 20 cents per gallon. Under-sink carbon filters cost around 10 cents per gallon once you get them installed. Reverse osmosis costs 15-25 cents per gallon but gets rid of way more stuff than other filters. Vitamin C costs about 2 cents per gallon and works right away. Whole house systems cost a lot upfront but give you the cheapest per-gallon cost if you use lots of water. For just getting rid of chlorine taste, regular carbon filters give you the best deal.

When to Call a Professional About Your Water Quality

Sometimes chlorine taste is just the tip of the iceberg, and your water might have bigger problems that need expert attention. While most chlorine issues can be handled with simple filters, certain warning signs mean you should get professional help to make sure your water is truly safe to drink.

Signs that indicate more serious water quality issues:

• Your water has a strong chlorine smell that suddenly appeared or got much worse overnight, which could mean your water system is dealing with contamination.
• You notice a metallic taste along with the chlorine smell, suggesting your pipes might be corroding or you have heavy metals in your water.
• Your water looks cloudy, has particles floating in it, or changes color even after running the tap for several minutes.
• Family members are getting sick with stomach problems, especially if it happens repeatedly after drinking tap water.
• Your hot water smells like rotten eggs while cold water smells like chlorine, which could indicate bacterial growth in your water heater.
• You see rust stains, blue-green stains, or white buildup around faucets and in sinks, pointing to pipe corrosion or mineral problems.

Get Rid of That Chlorine Taste and Start Enjoying Your Water Again

That pool smell coming from your faucet doesn't have to ruin every glass of water you drink. Sure, chlorine keeps dangerous bacteria out of your water, but you shouldn't have to choose between safe water and water that actually tastes good. Simple pitcher filters, under-sink systems, or reverse osmosis setups can all solve your chlorine problem - just pick what fits your budget and how much water your family uses. Stop holding your breath every time you fill a glass and find a filter that works for you.