Chlorine vs Chloramine in your tap water

Guccizillaa

Guccizillaa

Well-Known Member
I have seen several posts on here where people ask if tap water is safe to use on their plants. Many of the responses say that it is okay to use if you let the water sit out for 24 hours for the chlorine to evaporate.

In recent years however, many water municipalities have switched over to using chloramine which is an ammonia and chlorine mixture. This chemical will not completely evaporate just by leaving it out. The reason many municipalities made the switch is because of the exact reason I just stated, it lasts longer in the water, therefore keeping the health standards of the water up to par.

There are ways to remove the chloramine from your water however, I myself use a high-quality charcoal filter. I just wanted to share this knowledge with fellow growers so that you're not feeding your plants chlorine. Below I provided link with a very informative article on this subject.

https://www.thesprucepets.com/remove-chloramines-from-tap-water-2924183
 
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hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
Guccizillaa said:
I have seen several posts on here where people ask if tap water is safe to use on their plants. Many of the responses say that it is okay to use if you let the water sit out for 24 hours for the chlorine to evaporate.

In recent years however, many water municipalities have switched over to using chloramine which is an ammonia and chlorine mixture. This chemical will not completely evaporate just by leaving it out. The reason many municipalities made the switch is because of the exact reason I just stated, it lasts longer in the water, therefore keeping the health standards of the water up to par.

There are ways to remove the chloramine from your water however, I myself use a high-quality carbon filter. I just wanted to share this knowledge with fellow growers so that you're not feeding your plants ammonia. Below I provided link with a very informative article on this subject.

https://www.thesprucepets.com/remove-chloramines-from-tap-water-2924183
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Ever go by a row irrigated field and see the ammonia tanks dripping it into irrigation water? It’s a safe and common source of nitrogen.
 
Guccizillaa

Guccizillaa

Well-Known Member
hotrodharley said:
Ever go by a row irrigated field and see the ammonia tanks dripping it into irrigation water? It’s a safe and common source of nitrogen.
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hotrodharley said:
Ever go by a row irrigated field and see the ammonia tanks dripping it into irrigation water? It’s a safe and common source of nitrogen.
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From what I understand the problem is the ammonia doesn't naturally separate itself from the chlorine? I've been told the chloramine itself will remain in your water even after up to 48 hours of sitting out.
 
hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
Guccizillaa said:
From what I understand the problem is the ammonia doesn't naturally separate itself from the chlorine? I've been told the chloramine itself will remain in your water even after up to 48 hours of sitting out.
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No idea but I use municipal water I haul and don’t have any problems. As well there’s a bunch of professionals in Fairbanks that do likewise. One guy currently has about 35K square feet under lights and while the business he grows for has RO he still uses tap water at his home. Just a thought.
 
hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
I think what we’re talking about with potable tap water is so minute. You can run it through an activated charcoal filter to remove most if not all of it.
 
Guccizillaa

Guccizillaa

Well-Known Member
hotrodharley said:
No idea but I use municipal water I haul and don’t have any problems. As well there’s a bunch of professionals in Fairbanks that do likewise. One guy currently has about 35K square feet under lights and while the business he grows for has RO he still uses tap water at his home. Just a thought.
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Great feedback thank you! The link I provided actually lists reverse osmosis as one of the ways to remove the chloramine from your water, as well as the charcoal filter. If far more experienced growers feel comfortable using straight tap water though I'm sure the chloramine doesn't harm the plant.
 
hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
Guccizillaa said:
Great feedback thank you! The link I provided actually lists reverse osmosis as one of the ways to remove the chloramine from your water, as well as the charcoal filter. If far more experienced growers feel comfortable using straight tap water though I'm sure the chloramine doesn't harm the plant.
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I really should add it might be different in different areas. If you see unexplained chlorosis it might be worth hauling RO to see if it stops the issue.
 
T

tslonige

Well-Known Member
For small inside grows I use water conditioner that is used in fish tanks. It takes a little less than 1ml per gal to remove the chlorine and chloramine. I use water from a charcoal filter also. Excellent results. I usually grow 4 to 6 plants at a time
 
Kingrow1

Kingrow1

Well-Known Member
The chlorine/amine in water is harmless and barely kills let alone any effect on established colonies - if it did we wouldnt be able ti drink and woulsnt have to clean toilets sinks and showers that use this stuff and allow bac. and fungi to thrive.

Another myth im afraid.... :-)
 
buyyouabeer

buyyouabeer

Well-Known Member
I talked to my water department (The Joint Water Commission (JWC) Water Treatment Plant (WTP) is the primary drinking water supplier in Washington County, Oregon) when I was into making beer. The engineer told me they only use chlorine gas at minute quantities because all of the pipe runs were relatively short and the water stays treated all the way to the end users. Said in big cities they tend to use chloramine because the large distances it has to travel, so your situation may depend on that. I have always just used straight tap water, but we are really lucky here that it is so pure and low PPM.
 
xtsho

xtsho

Well-Known Member
buyyouabeer said:
I talked to my water department (The Joint Water Commission (JWC) Water Treatment Plant (WTP) is the primary drinking water supplier in Washington County, Oregon) when I was into making beer. The engineer told me they only use chlorine gas at minute quantities because all of the pipe runs were relatively short and the water stays treated all the way to the end users. Said in big cities they tend to use chloramine because the large distances it has to travel, so your situation may depend on that. I have always just used straight tap water, but we are really lucky here that it is so pure and low PPM.
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Most of Washington county also gets their water from the upper Tualatin river which comes from the eastside of the coast range and is good water. Some parts get the Bull Run water I get which is also very good water. If it's good enough to make beer it's good enough to grow cannabis.
 
buyyouabeer

buyyouabeer

Well-Known Member
Kingrow1 said:
Chloramines cheaper easier and what all will become if not already i guess
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Perhaps but we are home to the single largest manufacturing location of the Intel Corporation. There are massive silicon fabs here and they are currently building another, those operations demand an ungodly amount of very pure water. I do not see them allowing that to be added to the water and yes they have very high persuasion with the local governments (taxes waived etc.).
 
Kingrow1

Kingrow1

Well-Known Member
Then they will purify onsite as it is the cheapest and most efficient method yet.

Tap water and water plants do not make a pure product, there is loads of stuff living in it and the pipes. Actual sterelization would be a much much bigger operation state wide/ country wide :-)


buyyouabeer said:
Perhaps but we are home to the single largest manufacturing location of the Intel Corporation. There are massive silicon fabs here and they are currently building another, those operations demand an ungodly amount of very pure water. I do not see them allowing that to be added to the water and yes they have very high persuasion with the local governments (taxes waived etc.).
Click to expand...
 
CanadianJim

CanadianJim

Well-Known Member
The levels of chlorine and chloramine in the municipal water that comes out your tap are at a level where they will inhibit growth of bacteria, but won't kill it. The levels that kill bacteria are actually pretty high, like what you find in a pool. And when you add that water to your soil the concentrations of those chemicals drop even further. Water straight from the tap is perfectly fine for plants.
 
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