People often mistake the smell of bleach when it’s actually chlorine. The smell of bleach in your tap water is most likely caused by high levels of chlorine. You can rest assured though because the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) actually requires small levels of chlorine in your home tap water.
While the EPA does require chlorine in public water systems, it recommends levels below 4mg/L. Chlorine can be smelled at levels of 1mg/L, so it’s not uncommon if you detect a bleach smell.
Chlorine is manually added to public water systems because it’s a disinfectant to get rid of any waterborne diseases. Because chlorine helps disinfect the water before its distributed to your home, it will always be a part of your drinking water. That being said, there are a few ways to improve it.
If the bleach or chlorine smell is too much for you, it is possible that your water system is being treated with too much chlorine. You should contact your local water company to see if there is a problem.
While nobody wants to taste the chlorine in their water, remember that it’s used as a preventative measure against the spread of disease and dangerous pathogens.
Chlorine it not known to damage common home plumbing systems built from the typical construction materials used in residential homes. While the plumbing pipes themselves are unlikely to be damaged by the chlorine, other components that contain plastic or rubber - such as faucets, shower heads, outdoor hoses, and other water appliances - should be checked for corrosion.
If you just want to come home to a cold glass of water without the smell or taste of chlorine, you’re concerned about the smell of chlorine in your tap water, or you’re noticing it may be having a negative affect on your plumbing system, contact Experts in Your Home - we do more than you think!