Boiling removes plain chlorine from tap water, but it doesn’t remove chloramine. Chloramine is a chlorine and ammonia blend that some utilities, including Jefferson City’s, add because it lasts longer in the pipes between the plant and your tap. If chloramine is what’s in your water, boiling won’t take it out.
Below, we cover how boiling works on chlorine, what it leaves behind, and which fixes cover both.
How Boiling Removes Chlorine From Tap Water
Chlorine is dissolved in tap water, and it escapes as a gas once the water gets hot. Boil a pot and the pool smell fades.
Boiling works, but it isn’t practical as a daily fix. You boil a pot, wait for it to cool, and repeat for every pitcher of drinking water and every tray of ice. It costs time and energy, and it covers only the water you boil. Your shower and your laundry keep running on regular tap water.
Why Boiling Doesn’t Work on Chloramine
Because it lasts longer in water, chloramine is harder to remove than plain chlorine. The EPA confirms that boiling water doesn’t remove it, so a pot of boiled water can lose its chlorine smell and still have chloramine in it.
Want to know what’s in your water? A free water test shows you, and it points you to the right fix. Homes on a private well can start there too, since no utility adds anything to a well.
What Boiling Doesn’t Remove
Chloramine isn’t the only thing boiling leaves behind. Boiling kills germs, which makes it the right move during a boil water advisory. The CDC says it won’t make water that contains harmful chemicals or toxins safe to use.
Lead and fluoride are two of those chemicals. EPA states plainly that boiling water doesn’t remove lead, and fluoride stays in the pot too. If chlorine is only one of the things in your water you’d rather not have, boiling covers none of the rest.
Boiling vs. Filtering: What Fits Your Home
Chlorine and chloramine in your tap water are normal, and they help keep it safe from germs. Normal still isn’t pleasant when you taste it in your coffee or smell it in your ice.
Boiling works in a pinch for plain chlorine. Filtering fits the way you use water. Carbon filtration reduces both chlorine and chloramine, and it can sit at one tap or cover the whole house. A whole-home filtration system treats water where it enters your home, so every tap and shower gets filtered water. For drinking and cooking, a reverse osmosis system sits under the kitchen sink. Its carbon stage reduces chlorine and chloramine, and its membrane removes most of the fluoride and metals such as lead that boiling leaves behind. Bottled water delivery is another option if you prefer delivered water.
Our guide on how to remove chlorine from tap water covers each one in more detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is boiled tap water safe to drink?
Yes. According to the CDC, boiling kills germs in tap water that could make you sick. Boiling doesn’t remove chemicals, so it’s not a fix for chemical contamination.
Do pitcher filters remove chlorine?
Most pitcher filters use carbon, which reduces chlorine taste and smell. They suit a few glasses at a time. A system plumbed into your water line keeps up with daily use.
Does boiling water remove fluoride?
No. Boiling doesn’t remove fluoride. A reverse osmosis system removes most of it.
Does boiling water remove lead?
No. EPA says boiling water doesn’t remove lead. The only way to know what’s in your water is to test it.
Ready to Fix Chlorine Taste at the Tap?
Mid-Mo Water Solutions installs whole-home filtration and reverse osmosis systems for homes in Jefferson City, Columbia, Lake of the Ozarks, and the surrounding mid-Missouri communities. Contact Mid-Mo Water Solutions and we’ll help you choose the setup that fits your home and your water.