Poughkeepsie Changes Water Purification Method

The water treatment facility in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., will disinfect its water with chloramines instead of chlorine, starting October 16.

According to the Hudson Valley News, this change will affect residents of the city and town of Poughkeepsie, as well as the village of Wappingers Falls.

Water users who currently remove chlorine from their water will also have to remove the chloramines. This includes renal centers and home dialysis users, as well as owners of tropical aquariums.

The change comes from recent studies showing that the naturally-organic material in water creates disinfection byproducts that could be harmful to human health.

Chloramine is a combination of chlorine and ammonia and is more reliable as a disinfectant in distribution systems because it lasts longer. Chloramine also produces lower levels of byproducts.

Mayor Nancy Cozean expressed that the change will allow the city to meet stricter federal and state regulations in the future.

Source: Hudson Valley News