Chlorine & Chloramine Water Filter in Cutler Bay

What WASD's report says

WASD's 2025 Water Quality Report describes primary and secondary disinfection: chlorine is added as the primary disinfectant, and "ammonia is added to combine with chlorine and form chloramine," a secondary disinfectant that protects the water in the distribution system. The data table lists chloramines at 2.5 ppm for the main system, with results from not detected to 4.0, against a maximum residual disinfectant level of 4.

The Orr plant serves Cutler Bay along with everything south of SW 8 Street to approximately SW 264 Street.

Why plain carbon may struggle

• Chemistry: chloramine is chlorine bound to ammonia, which reacts more slowly with ordinary carbon.
• Contact time: small, fast-flowing cartridges let more through.
• Claims: a filter certified for chlorine taste and odor is not automatically certified for chloramine.

What to look for

• Catalytic carbon or media designed for chloramine.
• A chloramine reduction claim on the exact model's NSF/ANSI 42 listing.
• Sizing to your peak flow so there is enough contact time when several fixtures run.

Living Water describes its Puronics Clarius iGen and Goodspring whole-home systems as removing chloramine and chlorine.

The two weeks of free chlorine

WASD has scheduled an annual chlorine conversion for more than 30 years with the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade and the county's Regulatory and Economic Resources department. In 2026 it ran September 28 through October 11, using free chlorine instead of chloramine to cleanse the system. WASD said some customers may notice a chlorine taste or smell, that dialysis patients may want to contact their doctor, and that owners of tropical fish should seek advice from aquarium professionals. A filter designed for chloramine handles free chlorine too.

Whole-home or kitchen only

A whole-home system covers showers and every faucet. If your only concern is drinking water, an under-sink RO with suitable carbon stages may be enough. If skin comfort in the shower is part of the reason, see dry skin after showering in Cutler Bay. The chloramine filter guide goes deeper.

Who notices chloramine most

People who moved from a place that used free chlorine, or from a private well, tend to notice it first. Aquarium and pond owners have to treat it, because chloramine does not gas off by letting water sit the way chlorine can. Some coffee and tea drinkers notice it in flavor. None of this means the water is out of standard; it is a preference, and a test shows how much reaches your tap.

Measure it at your tap

Jorge tests total and free chlorine at your tap and explains the reading. Call, text or WhatsApp (305) 793-5974.

Updated 2026-10-17 · Living Waters · Jorge Canela, Water Quality Specialist