Dry, Itchy Skin After Showering in Tamarac

Comfort factors in Tamarac water

• Chloramine: 2025 averages of 2.73 ppm (West) and 2.15 ppm (East). Some people notice it as a smell in a hot, steamy shower.
• Hardness: the city says it partially softens to about 3.5 grains per gallon, so hardness is moderate on city water.
• Hot water and long showers: often matter as much as the water itself.

What a shower test shows

Jorge measures total chlorine and hardness at a shower or bathroom tap, along with pH and TDS. If chloramine is in the normal range for your system and hardness is low, a softener will not change much, and a filter for chloramine is the more relevant option.

Whole-home vs. shower filters

A small shower-head filter has seconds of contact time with fast-moving hot water, which is a tough job for chloramine. A whole-home city water system treats water before it reaches the heater and every shower, with much more contact time. Living Water describes its Puronics city water systems as removing chloramine and chlorine.

Other things worth trying

• Shorter, slightly cooler showers.
• Moisturizing right after showering.
• Fragrance-free soaps.

If dryness, itching or rashes persist, a dermatologist is the right person to see.

Seasonal residents

If you spend part of the year away from Tamarac and the dryness is new since you arrived, it may be a change in climate, routine or water. A test tells you what your water actually is, instead of guessing.

Why a hot shower makes it more noticeable

Heat and steam make chloramine easier to smell, which is why many people notice their water most in the shower. Tamarac's chloramine residual is within limits; whether it bothers you is a personal comfort question. Testing the hot side and cold side at the same shower helps separate a water heater issue from the city water itself. If the smell is sulfur rather than chlorine, see rotten-egg smells.

A simple at-home check: fill a glass from the shower on hot and on cold and smell each one. A chlorine-like smell on both points to the disinfectant; a smell only on hot points to the heater.

Book a test

Call, text or WhatsApp (305) 793-5974. Jorge tests at your shower, explains the numbers and recommends only what fits.

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