testing home's water: almost ZERO chlorine. How's YOUR water?

[David Combs]

Got myself a chlorine-tester -- from a swiming-pool place.

Tested mine -- time after time after time.

Almost ZERO chlorine.

Called the water company -- they swear that they put lots of chlorine into the water.

What with, these days, earnings-per-share being the ONLY thing that counts, seems to me that it's not unlikely that they're lying.

(Hell, don't all the other corporations? To say nothing of politicians and cowed-by-them 4-star generals, etc.) (ref last tuesday's Frontline -- dynamite show)

Well, is this low chlorine just here, or is this (scam?) happening elsewhere, too.

(I live in New Rochelle, NY)

Thanks,

David

PS: what action to take re adding your own chlorine (chlorox)?

[Charles Spitzer]

they usually use chloromine, not chlorine

[David Efflandt]

How low is almost zero. It would be much less than swimming pool water. I am not a water operator (just valves used on water systems), but if they chlorinate, I think they try to keep a chlorine residual of 1.5 ppm. Note that if you draw it from a faucet with aerator or otherwise aerate the water, it could easily dissipate in a matter of seconds. I hate it when the chlorine is so strong I can smell it.

If they use chloromines instead, I don't even think a chlorine tester would detect it. There has been controversy about chloromines because it does not dissipate from aeration or standing water, could attack certain rubbers (o-rings, etc.), and may not be good for people with kidney problems, pet fish, etc.

For drinking? You have got to be kidding. Water departments are supposed to regular test water out in their system to make sure that there is nothing harmful in it. I used to collect samples for testing when working for a well driller that operated a number of small community water systems.

[m Ransley]

Why would you even think of adding more chemicals-chlorene to your water. I filter all that crap out. Everyone I know wants chemical free water. You water is tested its safe, Get a good filter to remove problems you have fear of.

[Rick Shaw]

Living here on the Big Island the bulk of us using "catchment" systems always add chemicals to our water... No big deal. Used with the whole house filter to skim off the dead buggs and bird krap tends to make a nice cup of tea...

[ZZonka Tonka]

[dadiOH]

David Combs wrote: =20

Does your water actually need it or do you just miss the taste/smell?

--=20 dadiOH ____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.05... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at

[David Combs]

About cups of tea -- good and not-so-good.

My family has place out in West Texas (I'm up in NY), and the water is *really* full of minerals.

I don't drink coffee (not in a long time, anyway) but am told that coffee made with that water is just fine.

Not so for tea!

Use that water, and you get this crud-looking stuff on the surface -- a thin layer of it.

And the tea tastes *horrible* -- I mean, *horrible*!

So for tea I use bottled water -- with that, actually tastes like tea!

(Also good for final half-glass-worth for rinsing out your hair, after ahampoo -- without that, your hair (supposedly now clean) feels really grimy, slippery...)

David

[David Combs]

Well, a few years ago I was given a Brita -- pitcher and filter.

Well, one time I filled it up and didn't refill it for a couple of days. During part of the day window-daylight (not direct sun, though).

At about day 3, after drinking a glass of the stuff, I glanced down at the bottom -- GOOD GOD! There was this maybe one inch in diameter GLOB of funny-colored stuff "floating" around at the bottom.

Clearly, what (little) chlorine we have in the water (back then, you *could* smell it, especially in the shower) was removed by the filter (as it advertises it will do), leaving the "field" wide open for whatever to grow.

Needless to say, I stopped using the Brita.