Residential: 
Do you love the smell of chlorine in your morning coffee? Yeah, most people don’t. But when it comes to our drinking water, chlorine is a necessary evil.
The chlorine in tap water kills deadly bacteria, viruses, and protozoans. And chlorine is safe in small amounts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But that doesn’t make it taste any better.
If you use a water well, chances are you know how to shock your well with chlorine to remove bacteria. But do you know how to remove chlorine from water?
From natural remedies to more permanent solutions, you can achieve tasty dechlorinated water with a variety of methods.
Boil the Water
One cheap way to remove chlorine from water is by boiling, aka off-gassing. In a large pot over high heat, bring the water to a boil with the lid on askew (to allow some steam to escape). Let it boil for around 20 minutes so the chlorine can evaporate. Unless you’re making tea or coffee, you’ll need to wait for the water to cool before drinking it.
Let Nature Take Care of Chlorine in Tap Water
Put the water in a large pot, cover it with plastic wrap and set it outside in the sun for 24 hours. It’s not as effective as boiling, but it’s also hands-off.
Try Vitamin C Tablets
Take a tip from the pool-and-hot-tub-draining pros and use vitamin C tablets to dechlorinate water. Drop 40 milligrams-worth of vitamin C tablets into 1 gallon of water and let it sit for 24 hours.
Use an Activated Carbon Filter Attachment or Pitcher
An activated carbon water filter is one of the easiest ways to dechlorinate water. You can install a water filtration attachment to the tap or buy a water filter pitcher.
The initial investment is low, but you’ll have to keep buying new filters every few months.
Install a Granular Activated Carbon Filter
These work similarly to the tap attachment or pitcher. But they’re permanently installed. They use heat to activate the carbon to remove chlorine from water.
They’re more expensive than a pitcher or attachment, and you might need a plumber to install it. Additionally, the GAC will need to be replaced regularly.
Use a Reverse-Osmosis Filtration System
Reverse-osmosis systems use carbon filters to remove most of the chlorine from your water. They’ll filter all the tap water in your home.
They’re also reasonably inexpensive, but a professional has to install them.
Dechlorinate Your Well
Chlorinating your well is sometimes necessary to kill bacteria or get rid of odors. But one of the benefits of having a well is not having to put up with the chemically odor and flavor of city water.
To dechlorinate the well water, wait at least 24 hours after the chlorination process to ensure all the bacteria has been killed. Then run your garden hose for an hour or two. Make sure you run the water in an area with low foot or vehicle traffic.
So long as the water keeps flowing, it won’t damage your pump.
Test your water’s chlorine levels and repeat the process if they’re still high.
How Long Does It Take to Get Chlorine Out of Well Water?
When it comes to your whole well, it takes time to dechlorinate water. Freshwater will continue entering the well, which will help dilute it. You can also run all the faucets in your house to speed up the process of freshwater replacing the chlorine-treated water. But it could take as long as two or three days.
Once your well water is dechlorinated, make sure you keep testing it for bacteria regularly.
Dechlorination & Your Water Pump
The process of chlorinating then removing the chlorine in tap water shouldn’t damage your water pump. But you could lose pressure. If that happens, check for clogged sediment filters, faucets or screens.
But if you don’t find clogs and the water pressure doesn’t return, call the experienced Arizona water well pump repair pros at Pump It Up Pump Services at 623-582-5069 or shoot us an email.
___________________________________________________
Are you concerned about chlorine or contaminants in your well water? We can help! As a top residential well water testing company in Arizona, Empire Pump specializes in water testing and well water treatment to ensure that you have safe drinking water. Call 623-582-5069 now to schedule an appointment or to have your questions answered!
