Municipal Water: Are You Leaving the Job Half Done?

“Homeowners tend to decide in-home water treatment based off what they can see, smell, or taste in their water. ”
Published November 20, 2024 in Plumbing & HVAC Magazine
By John Cardiff, Canature WaterGroup

Health effects created by water treatment disinfection are generally attributed to the disinfectant byproducts (DBPs) - the reactions between chlorine or chloramine and the organic matter in raw water – more than the chemicals themselves. Two of the most common types of DBPs found in chlorinated drinking water are trihalomethanes (THMs) and halo acetic acids (HAAs). Experts agree that long-term exposure to DBPs in drinking water is a health concern.

Chlorine and chloramine can also have costly and unwanted effects on homes.

• Corrosion of Pipes and Fittings: they can corrode certain metals, including copper and galvanized steel. Chloramine can cause pinhole leaks in copper pipes as well as corrode lead and brass components.

• Degradation of Rubber and Plastic Components: chlorinated water prematurely degrades rubber seals, gaskets, O-rings and water softener resin.

• Shortened Appliance Lifespan: The corrosive properties of these disinfectants can lead to costly repairs or early replacement.

In-Home Filtration Solutions

For homeowners who want to remove chlorine and chloramines from their water, the first step is deciding on their filtration goals. Do they want chlorine-free, chloramine-free water throughout their home or just for cooking and drinking?

The benefits of whole home filtration are:

• Great tasting, healthy drinking water

• Protects plumbing and water-using appliances

• No chlorine/chloramine exposure from showering or bathing

Drinking water or point-of-use filtration systems can be the right solution for homeowners who want a lower upfront investment or want the added security of membrane filtration for their drinking water. These systems can also be simple for the homeowner to maintain if they offer quick-change cartridges.

Choosing the Right Whole Home Solution

To remove chlorine or chloramines from water, the contact time required between the incoming treated water and the carbon bed, the home’s water flow rate, as well as the type of carbon are all crucial considerations in choosing the right solution. Granular activated carbon is the most widely used media for chlorine removal and catalytic activated carbon is the most effective for chloramine removal. Choosing a system that is third party certified to NSF/ANSI 42 is also important.

Whole-home carbon filters are best placed before a water softener to remove chlorine or chloramines. Chlorine levels of about 1 ppm can cut the life expectancy of water softener resin in half. Some systems offer softening and carbon filtration in a single unit through dedicated carbon and softening resin tanks or as a mixed bed unit. If you’re recommending a mix-bed unit, be sure that the carbon bed offers enough contact time to effectively remove the chlorine or chloramines for the whole-home and take the time to understand if the carbon media and softener resin have different required replacement lives. For example, if the carbon needs to be replaced in two years but the softener resin should last 10 years, your customers could end up re-bedding their softener resin far more often than necessary or relying on carbon that is no longer working.

Another consideration is choosing between backwashing and non-backwashing carbon filters. Backwashing filters are more expensive upfront but can handle higher flowrates than non-backwashing filters. They also extend the life of the carbon by backwashing which prevents it from packing. Non-backwashing filters are well suited to customers looking for upfront affordability. However, non-backwashing filters tend to have a shorter carbon bed life so the media will need to be replaced more frequently. Smaller, cartridge-based whole-home carbon filters are also available. While they have a lower upfront cost, they have the added cost of frequent cartridge replacements which can result in a higher annual expense over the life of the system. Warranty and certification differences between all units being considered should always be presented to the customer before purchase.

Point-of-Use or Drinking Water Solutions

Customers who have decided that they only want filtered drinking water have three options:

1. Reverse Osmosis (RO) – membrane filtration with most comprehensive contaminant removal

2. Ultrafiltration (UF) – hollow fibre membrane filtration with microscopic contaminant removal

3. Carbon cartridge filtration – affordable filtration that is effective for chlorine and chloramine removal

Reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration both offer the most comprehensive contaminant removal. Reverse osmosis is the best option for homeowners who are sensitive to chlorine or chloramines (in which case, they will also want a whole-home carbon filter) or who want the best possible removal of contaminants from their drinking water. Before installing a RO for your customer, be sure they understand that a separate drain line is required. Ultrafiltration offers a very high level of filtration but does not require a dedicated drain line. Again, checking that the system you recommend has third party certification for chlorine and/or chloramine removal is the only way to ensure that the system will deliver on its claims.

When recommending a cartridge-style point-of-use filter, be sure that the carbon media matches the chemical (chlorine vs chloramines), that it’s properly sized for the flow rate (the contact time is sufficient for chlorine and chloramine removal), and that the homeowner understands how often the cartridge(s) will need to be replaced. While these systems are the most economical upfront, their annual maintenance costs can add up for homeowners.

Which System Should I Recommend?

That answer goes back to the homeowner’s goals and the water composition. Whole-home systems are great solutions for homeowners who want the benefits of chlorine-free or chloramine-free water throughout their home, who have chlorine or chloramine sensitivities, who do not want the hassle of annual maintenance, or who consider the lifelong cost of the filter more important than the upfront cost.

Homeowners who are primarily concerned about ingesting high-quality water or who are looking for an affordable way to remove chlorine or chloramines from their water will be most interested in point-of-use filtration like RO, UF or cartridge systems.

Helping your customers find the right carbon filtration system for their home will build your reputation as a water expert and help your customers feel good about the water they use every day.