Many SC and NC homeowners know their water is treated with a disinfectant — but the distinction between chlorine and chloramine matters enormously for filtration effectiveness, health implications, and taste.
What's the Difference?
Chlorine (Cl₂) is the traditional disinfectant used in municipal water treatment for over 100 years. It's effective at killing pathogens but dissipates quickly in distribution systems — meaning water customers furthest from the treatment plant receive inadequate disinfection.
Chloramine (NH₂Cl) is formed by combining chlorine with ammonia. It's more stable and travels further through distribution systems without dissipating. This makes it the disinfectant of choice for large, spread-out distribution networks.
Which SC and NC Utilities Use Chloramine?
- Greenville Water — chloramine
- Charleston Water System — chloramine
- Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (Wilmington) — chlorine, after ozone and UV
- Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority (Myrtle Beach, Conway) — chloramine, its primary disinfectant since 1993, with a yearly switch to free chlorine while lines are flushed (GSWSA)
Why This Matters for Your Filter
Standard activated carbon filters — Brita pitchers, refrigerator filters, most under-sink carbon units — are highly effective at removing chlorine but largely ineffective against chloramine. If you're in Greenville, Charleston, Conway or Myrtle Beach and using a standard carbon filter, chloramine is likely passing right through it.
To remove chloramine, you need: - Catalytic carbon — a specialized activated carbon engineered specifically for chloramine - Reverse osmosis — addresses both chlorine and chloramine, with reduction performance published by the manufacturer
Health Considerations
Chloramine is considered safe at the levels the EPA permits for disinfection. It forms different disinfection byproducts than chlorine — including N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and haloacetonitriles — which remain an active area of EPA study and research.
ClearFlow's free in-home test identifies whether your water contains chlorine or chloramine and what byproduct levels are present — so we can recommend the right filtration system for your specific water.
Call (843) 742-1196 to schedule.
