Two disinfectants in one city
The City of Hialeah Department of Public Works buys most of its water from Miami-Dade County and adds water from the Hialeah RO plant it co-owns with the county. Its 2025 report shows:
- Chloramines for the Miami-Dade WASD water, formed by combining chlorine with ammonia so the disinfectant lasts through the pipes.
- Chlorine for the Hialeah RO plant water, added after the membranes, pH adjustment and degasification.
Both are within the legal limits in the report. Depending on where you live and how the system is running, your tap may see more of one or the other.
The two-week free chlorine switch
The city has posted Miami-Dade's temporary conversions to free chlorine on its Alert Center. One notice covered October 16 to 29, 2023 and said customers might notice a slight change in the taste or smell of their tap water. These conversions recur, so a smell that changes for a couple of weeks is usually this, not a problem with your plumbing.
Chlorine is easy; chloramine takes more
Ordinary activated carbon handles free chlorine quickly. Chloramine is built to be stable, so it generally needs more contact time and a carbon made for the job, often called catalytic carbon. A filter rated only for chlorine may do fine on RO plant water and much less on county water. Choosing a chloramine-rated system covers both.
Certification checklist
- Look for NSF/ANSI 42 certification with a specific chloramine reduction claim on the exact model.
- Check the rated capacity and replacement interval, and compare them with your household's use.
- For whole-home systems, ask how the media is sized for your flow rate.
Living Water describes its Puronics whole-home systems as removing chlorine and chloramine. Read more in choosing a filter for chloramine.
Picking the right setup in Hialeah
For a single-family house or townhome, a whole-home system on the main line treats showers, laundry and every tap. In an apartment, an under-sink alkaline RO system stays inside the unit; ask the owner first. Call, text or WhatsApp Jorge at (305) 793-5974 for a free test of your disinfectant level.
https://www.hialeahfl.gov/Archive.aspx?ADID=534
https://www.hialeahfl.gov/AlertCenter.aspx?AID=Temporary-Conversion-to-Free-Chlorine-Tr-2005
https://www.miamidade.gov/water/library/reports/water-quality-2024.pdf
Updated 2026-10-17 · Living Waters · Jorge Canela, Water Quality Specialist