Disinfection Process

The City of Mandan uses chloramine to disinfect our water. Chloramines are a combination of chlorine and ammonia, which is used to kill potentially harmful bacteria in the water.

Mandan, like other communities, experienced elevated levels of trihalomethanes (THMs) as a result of using chlorine as a disinfectant. Chlorine reacts with naturally occurring organic material in the water to form THMs. THMs are suspected carcinogens and are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Federal drinking water regulations have recently become stricter with respect to Disinfection By-Products (DBPs) such as THMs. The City of Mandan made the switch to using chloramine in 2006.

Chloraminated water is the same as chlorinated water for all the normal uses we have for water. Chloramines have been used in the United States and Canada for decades. Other cities using chloramines in ND include Bismarck, Fargo, Dickinson, Grand Forks, Williston and others.

The EPA accepts chloramines both as a disinfectant and as a way to limit THM formation. However, there are two groups of people who need to take special care with chloraminated water: Kidney dialysis patients & fish owners. As with current disinfectant, chlorine, chloramines must also be removed from water used in the kidney dialysis process and from water that is used in fish tanks or ponds.

Please contact your medical facility and pet stores for more information.

FAQs

Are Chloramines new? No. Many cities in the US and Canada have used chloramines for decades. In fact, portions of Metropolitan California used chloramines when it first began delivering water in 1941. But it switched to using free chlorine when ammonia became scarce during World War II.

Are Chloramines safe? Yes. Chloramines have been used safely in the US and Canada for many years. EPA accepts chloramines as a disinfectant and as a way to avoid THM formations. Were it not for some kind of disinfectant in drinking water, disease-causing organisms such as typhoid and cholera could be carried in your drinking water. Chloraminated water is safe for bathing, drinking, cooking and all uses we have for water every day.

Why do kidney dialysis patients have to take special precautions? In the dialysis process, water comes in contact with the blood across a permeable membrane. Chloramines in that water would be toxic, just as chlorine is toxic, and must be removed from water used in kidney dialysis machines. There are two ways to do that—ascorbic acid or using granular activated carbon (GAC) treatment. Medical centers that perform dialysis are responsible for purifying the water that enters the dialysis machines.

What are the effects of ammonia on fish? Ammonia can be toxic to fish, although all fish produce some ammonia as a natural byproduct. Ammonia is also released when chloramines are chemically removed. Although ammonia levels may be tolerable in individual tanks or ponds, commercial products are available at pet supply stores to remove excess ammonia. Also, biological filters, natural zeolites and pH control methods are effective in reducing the toxic effects of ammonia.

Can pregnant women and children drink chloraminated water? Yes. Everyone can drink water that contains chloramines.

Can you safely wash an open wound with chloraminated water? Yes. It is safe to use chloraminated water in cleaning an open wound because virtually no water actually enters the bloodstream that way.