Chloramine Sparks Protests In California City

Residents of Stockton, a city in northern California, are protesting at city hall over tap water safety.

“The mayor is less than reassuring — he doesn’t trust the tap water in any city,” The Sacramento Bee reported last month.

At issue is the city’s use of chloramines. The city council approved the chemical three years ago, and few local residents noticed the decision.

“There was little reason to expect an uprising when Stockton began using chloramines, a compound of chlorine and ammonia, to disinfect municipal water last month. The compound, an alternative to chlorine, has been used since the 1930s to remove bacteria and viruses from water in cities throughout the United States, including in San Francisco and the Bay Area,” the report said.

Then, earlier this year, renowned environmental Erin Brockovich sounded the alarm bells about the changes in Stockton.

Brockovich wrote on her Facebook page: “Chloramine use WILL result in immediate health issues, chronic health issues, new more toxic unregulated contaminants, property damage, lead leaching (they know this — which is why they are adding phosphate too — more chemical, oh joy!), distribution system nitrification and biofouling... and other environmental damage.”

“Don't buy the City Manager's lies anymore... he does not care about you... only lining his own pockets and riding off into the sunset,” she continued.

Still, for many water professionals, using chloramines is par for the course.

“Chloramines disinfect water as effectively as chlorine, but produce lower levels of dangerous trihalomethanes. Cities in the East Bay have used chloramines to disinfect their water since 1998, and San Francisco switched from chlorine to chloramines in 2004. Chloramines are generally considered safe at concentrations used in drinking water supplies, though there have been anecdotal reports of rashes and other allergic reactions after contact with chloramine-treated water,” KCET reported.

What does the U.S. EPA have to say about chloramines?

“Using chloramine to disinfect drinking water is a common standard practice among drinking water utilities. A number of utilities have made this switch from chlorine to chloramines to enhance water safety and compliance with drinking water health standards,” according to the agency.

To read more on chloramine issues, visit Water Online’s Drinking Water Disinfection Solutions Center.