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Controlling small amounts (under 2.0 ppm) of chloramines is relatively easy.  Shock the pool with a good-quality granular chlorine or use an oxidizing compound containing potassium mono-persulfate.  Mono-persulfate “shocks” are great because they don’t add additional chlorine that may contribute to further Chloramine formation.  We have found that even when there are larger amounts of chloramines present, the mono-persulfate works well in reducing the chloramines by oxidizing these wastes and releasing the combined chlorines.  Breakpoint chlorination often-times becomes simpler to achieve.  Again, weekly shocking of the pool is the preferred preventative procedure.  Just because the pool water looks good doesn’t mean that everything is balanced and working properly. 

A lurking problem? 

Another potential area or source of the Chloramine problem may be something we as dealers or homeowners have no control over.  The following comments and questions are purely speculative and have not been scientifically proved.  The premises are based on over 30 years of experiential observation and hopefully common sense.  The Chloramine problems that we’ve been discussing in this article have become more prevalent each passing swimming season over the past decade.  There’s a greater frequency and severity of the Chloramine issue. 

In the early and mid 1990’s, the nation’s public water suppliers began switching to using chloramines in the water sanitizing process; known as "chloramination".  Chloramines were and are known to be more stable and “persistent” as we’ve already mentioned.  Chloramines do a good job controlling normal bacteria and “stuff” in water. I will not discuss the reasons why chloramines are the preferred and even mandated form of bacteria control in potable water systems.  That is a discussion for the scientist and politician.  We are instead looking at daily observations.  

Throughout the 1990’s we heard the cry of “get of rid of chlorine!”  Chlorine was given a bad rap.  Mainly from people who don’t know what they’re talking about.  After all, how do you ban an element?  People didn’t like the so-called taste of chlorine in their drinking water. Given a choice of coli-form bacteria or a slight chlorine taste, I’ll take the chlorine taste. Chlorine has undoubtedly saved thousands, and I dare say millions, of lives around the world in purifying water.  We see what untreated water looks & smells like and its devastating effects.  This is especially poignant in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. 

These are observations over the past 10 - 15 years regarding swimming pools:  Increasing frequency and severity in treating chloramines in swimming pool water; increased questions of chlorine demand or consumption; more frequent consumer complaints of skin rashes or eye irritation when using a pool, spa or hot tub. In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, “pink slime” and “white water mold” were being blamed on biguanide usage, until it was noticed that there was this pink stuff coming from the garden hose.  

From a potable drinking water standpoint these are our observations.  Tap water rarely “smells” of chlorine. People notice the need to more frequently clean a bathroom or sink areas.  The toilet always seems to have a ring.  Often times when the garden hose is turned on, a “glob” of icky, pink stuff comes out.  What’s going on?   

Now we tell our pool or spa customers to run the water for a minute or two to flush out the garden hose before adding that water to the pool, spa or hot tub (now we’re “wasting water,” a very valuable resource).  We don’t want the “bio-film” in the pool or spa, but what about the chloramines coming in? Do we have a potential situation where pathogens, that may be present in the drinking water, are being killed but then their “waste” is not being oxidized (utilizing chlorine has some oxidizing attributes, chloramines do not)? Why is there a build-up of bio-films in garden hoses, sinks, toilets, piping? 

Are chloramines good oxidizers?  No. As pool & spa professionals, we know the necessity and advantage that regular oxidation performs; we more fully get rid of ALL of the stuff that is a potential contaminant.  This hypothesis is based on the fact that if you add more chloramines to pool or spa water, you will form even more unwanted chloramines.  It’s a vicious circle. Let’s use this analogy:  I have a pile of garbage. By putting some kind of chemical on the pile to kill the germs, I may have treated it; but the pile of garbage is still there.  Now if I then burn that pile of garbage (oxidizing it), I’ve reduced it to a more “harmless” ash, which by the way has a much smaller volume.  Does this make sense?  That’s why shock treatments are often referred to as oxidizers.  I suppose that’s why BioGuard® named their shock treatment Burn Out®.

The pool, spa or hot tub owner and user must understand these facts and act accordingly to protect not only his or her investment, but also the health of the users. ...

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