Chlorine & Chloramine Water Filter in Loxahatchee Groves

Do you even have chloramine?

Check your bill. A PBCWUD bill means county water and chloramine. No water bill means a private well, which the Town's 2024 planning analysis says is the situation for most of the Town. Well owners can skip to well water treatment, because their concerns are iron, sulfur and hardness, not disinfectant.

What PBCWUD's report says

• Eastern Region water is drawn from the Biscayne Aquifer, about 150 feet down, and treated at one of four plants.
• Chloramine (chlorine plus ammonia) is added before the water leaves the plant to keep it protected through the pipes.
• The 2025 report lists chlorine and chloramines at a highest running annual average of 3.04 ppm, with individual samples from 0.07 to 4.53, against a maximum residual disinfectant level of 4 ppm.
• Twice a year PBCWUD switches to chlorine only for pipe maintenance and flushes hydrants. Some customers notice a stronger chlorine smell then.

Why ordinary carbon may not be enough

Chloramine is more stable than free chlorine. That is exactly why utilities use it, and it is also why a basic carbon pitcher or fridge filter that handles chlorine well may reduce chloramine much less. Removing it typically takes catalytic carbon and enough contact time, which means the filter has to be sized for your flow.

When comparing products, look for certification to NSF/ANSI 42 for chloramine reduction and check the exact model's listing, not just the brand.

Options for a county-water home

• Whole-home: Living Water's city water systems (Puronics Clarius iGen and Goodspring), which Living Water describes as removing chlorine and chloramine, treat every tap and shower.
• Kitchen only: under-sink alkaline RO for drinking and cooking water.

Read the deeper guide: chloramine in city water: choosing a filter.

A note on aquariums and dialysis

PBCWUD's report notes that chlorine must be removed from water used for kidney dialysis and aquariums. Ammonia from chloramine matters for fish too. Follow your dialysis provider's or aquarium supplier's guidance; a home filter choice is not a substitute.

Signs it is the disinfectant you are tasting

Chloramine has a flatter, more medicinal smell than free chlorine, and it lingers in a glass longer. PBCWUD suggests refrigerating tap water in an open pitcher during its chlorine-only weeks so the taste fades within a few hours. That trick works less well for chloramine, which is one reason county-water households look at filtration. If the smell is only on hot taps, or smells like rotten eggs, that is a water heater issue instead; see rotten-egg smell.

Test first

Jorge measures chloramine at your tap, plus hardness and TDS, and explains what you are actually tasting. Call, text or WhatsApp (305) 793-5974.

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