Why Does My Water Taste Like Chlorine? Is It Safe and How to Fix It

Your water tastes like chlorine because your water company adds chlorine (or chloramine) to kill germs. It is a normal and important part of making tap water safe to drink. The taste is often stronger if you live close to the water treatment plant, after pipe repairs, or when your utility changes its treatment for a while.

The good news is that the water is usually safe, and the taste is easy to get rid of. Chilling your water, letting it sit in an open pitcher, or using a carbon filter can make a big difference.

This guide explains why your water tastes like chlorine, when to worry, and the easiest ways to make it taste better.

Why is chlorine in tap water?

Water travels a long way through pipes to reach your home. Along the way, germs could grow in it. To keep it safe, water utilities add a disinfectant. In the United States, the most common ones are:

• Chlorine, which has been used for more than 100 years
• Chloramine, which is chlorine mixed with a small amount of ammonia

Disinfecting drinking water has greatly reduced diseases like cholera and typhoid. The EPA sets a limit of 4 milligrams per liter for chlorine and for chloramine in drinking water. Most tap water has much less than that.

7 reasons your water tastes like chlorine

1. Your utility uses chlorine

Some people simply notice the taste more than others. If your city uses chlorine, a light pool-like taste or smell is normal.

2. You live close to the treatment plant

Water leaving the treatment plant has the most chlorine. As water travels farther through the pipes, some of the chlorine gets used up. Homes close to the plant often notice a stronger taste.

3. Your utility is doing a "chlorine burn"

Many cities that use chloramine switch to regular chlorine for a few weeks, often once a year. This helps clean the pipes. During this time, the water may taste or smell much stronger. Utilities usually post notices about this on their websites.

4. Pipe repairs or flushing

After a water main break, repair, or hydrant flushing, utilities may add extra chlorine to make sure the water is safe. The taste usually goes back to normal within a few days.

5. Hot weather

In warm months, utilities may add a little more disinfectant because germs grow faster in warm water.

6. Your water has been sitting in the pipes

Water that sits in your home's pipes overnight can taste stronger or different. Running the cold water for 30 seconds to a minute in the morning often helps.

7. It is actually something else

Sometimes what seems like a chlorine taste is really a reaction between chlorine and something in your plumbing, like new plastic pipes or a rubber hose. If only one faucet tastes strong, the fixture or the pipe to it may be the cause.

Is it safe to drink water that tastes like chlorine?

For most people, yes. The amount of chlorine in tap water is low and considered safe by the EPA. A chlorine taste actually shows that the water has been disinfected.

There are a few exceptions to keep in mind:

• Fish tanks: Chlorine and chloramine are harmful to fish. Use a water conditioner made for aquariums before you add tap water.
• Kidney dialysis: People on home dialysis need chloramine fully removed from their water. Talk to your doctor or dialysis center.
• Very strong bleach smell: If the smell is suddenly very strong, like undiluted bleach, stop drinking it and call your water utility right away.

If you are ever unsure, your water utility can answer questions and may test your water for free.

How to get rid of the chlorine taste

Here are the easiest ways, from free to low cost.

1. Chill your water

Cold water tastes much less like chlorine than warm or room-temperature water. Keep a pitcher of tap water in the fridge.

2. Let it sit in an open pitcher

Chlorine is a gas that slowly escapes from water. Fill a pitcher, leave it uncovered in the fridge for several hours or overnight, and much of the chlorine taste will fade.

Note: This works for chlorine, but not well for chloramine, which does not evaporate easily. See the next section to find out which one your city uses.

3. Add a slice of lemon or cucumber

Lemon, lime, cucumber, or a few mint leaves can cover the chlorine taste and make water more fun to drink. Lemon juice also contains vitamin C, which can help neutralize chlorine and chloramine.

4. Use a carbon water filter

Activated carbon filters are one of the best ways to remove chlorine taste and smell. Options include:

• Pitcher filters that you fill and keep in the fridge
• Faucet-mounted filters that attach to your kitchen faucet
• Under-sink filters for a separate drinking water tap
• Refrigerator filters for the water dispenser and ice maker

For chloramine, look for filters that say they reduce chloramine, often made with catalytic carbon. Check that the filter is certified for what you want it to remove. Look for NSF/ANSI certification on the box.

Replace filters on time. An old filter stops working and can even grow bacteria.

5. Boil the water (for chlorine only)

Boiling water for a few minutes drives off much of the chlorine. Let it cool, then chill it. This does not work well for chloramine, and it takes more time and energy than a filter.

6. Use a shower filter

If chlorine bothers your skin or hair, a shower filter can reduce chlorine in the shower. Vitamin C shower filters can also help with chloramine.

7. Consider a whole-house filter

A whole-house carbon filter removes chlorine from all the water in your home. It costs more and needs professional installation, but it can help if the taste bothers you at every faucet.

Chlorine vs. chloramine: which one is in your water?

It matters which disinfectant your utility uses, because some fixes only work for chlorine.

How to find out: Look up your utility's Consumer Confidence Report, also called an annual water quality report. Every community water system in the U.S. must send one out each year. You can usually find it on the utility's website or on your water bill. It will say whether the water is disinfected with chlorine or chloramine.

Is bottled water better than tap water?

Not usually. In the United States, tap water from public systems is tested often and must meet EPA safety rules. Bottled water is regulated by the FDA and is not always cleaner. It also costs much more and creates plastic waste.

If you do not like the taste of your tap water, a good carbon filter is often a cheaper and easier choice than buying bottled water. A pitcher filter can pay for itself in a few weeks compared to buying cases of bottles.

If you have a private well, the rules are different. Well owners are responsible for testing their own water. Test it at least once a year, or right away if the taste, smell, or color changes.

Chlorine, your skin, your hair, and your pets

Some people notice dry skin or dry hair after showering, especially during a chlorine burn. A few simple tips can help:

• Take shorter, cooler showers.
• Use a gentle, fragrance-free moisturizer after bathing.
• Try a shower filter made to reduce chlorine or chloramine.

Pets: Tap water is generally fine for dogs and cats to drink. Fish are the exception. Chlorine and chloramine can harm them, so always treat tap water with an aquarium water conditioner before adding it to a fish tank or pond. Choose a conditioner that says it handles chloramine if your city uses it.

Other tap water tastes and smells

If your water tastes or smells like something other than chlorine, it may be a different problem.

How to make your tap water taste better every day

• Run the cold water for 30 seconds in the morning before you drink it.
• Only drink cold water from the tap. Hot water can pick up more from pipes.
• Keep a filtered pitcher in the fridge.
• Clean your faucet aerator every few months. Our guide on fixing low water pressure shows how.
• Replace filters on time, including your fridge filter.
• Read your water quality report each year.

When to call your water utility

Call your water company if:

• The chlorine smell is suddenly very strong
• The water looks cloudy, colored, or has particles
• The taste changed and your neighbors notice it too
• You have questions about chloramine and a health condition or fish tank

Utilities want to know about taste and smell problems, and many will check your water at no cost.

The bottom line

Water tastes like chlorine because utilities add disinfectants to keep it safe from germs. It is usually safe to drink. To improve the taste, chill your water, let it sit in an open pitcher if your city uses chlorine, or use a carbon filter that is certified to remove chlorine or chloramine. If the smell is suddenly very strong or the water looks unusual, call your water utility.