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Chloramine in tap water and its effects on houseplants and gardens #460986

Asked June 09, 2018, 1:50 PM EDT

Some friend and I run a group on Facebook called Garden Easy.      I also belong to a couple other houseplant groups.     There always seems to be a discussion about Chloramine in tap water and what it will do to plants.     There are even some people putting pool chemicals in their tap water before watering their plants.      The problem is no one really knows anything about tap water treatments and they read some "expert's" recommendation online and take it for facts   I'm an amateur who studies a lot of scientific research as a hobby but I don't know what to tell my Group friends about tap water treatments.    I need a real Scientist or Plant Scientist who can help me to help my Group friends with a little information.   I was very happy to find the Broomfield Water website and read the annual report.   But we still don't understand Chloramine's effect on plants and if there is a way of removing it.    Yes, we know that there are water filtering systems that will remove Chloramine but they are multi-stage carbon and RO and VERY expensive. 

Broomfield County Colorado

Expert Response

The low levels of chloramine in our drinking water are not toxic to plants according to the EPA and a publication by the University of Nebraska Extension.

https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/public/chloramine-disinfection.html#one
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&...

However, one study did find that chloramines could cause root browning in hydroponically grown lettuce plants.

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jjshs1925/71/4/71_4_485/_pdf

Other than this one instance, chloramine-treated water is safe for trees, turf, vegetables, etc.


An Ask Extension Expert Replied June 19, 2018, 12:27 PM EDT

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