Water Quality Initiative

Protecting our water with chloramine

As the area we serve has expanded, the need for disinfectant residuals that will reach the ends of the distribution system has grown.

The Lansing Board of Water and Light now provides water to a large part of the greater Lansing area, including most or all of Lansing Township, Delta Township, Dewitt Township, Delhi Township and the City of Dewitt. We also supply water to portions of Watertown Township, Meridian Township, Aleidon Township and the City of East Lansing.

We use a form of chlorine protection called chloramine, which has several advantages over the more common form called free chlorine. By comparison, chloramine persists better in the distribution system and it adds little or no taste or odor. There are a few other things you may need to know about chloramine:

• Hemodialysis patients and their physicians need to know when chloramine is used in their water supply so they can take necessary precautions.
  
  
• Operators of laboratories or other specialty water users should adjust their pretreatment to accommodate chloramine residuals in their tap water.
  
  
• If you have tropical fish, the treatment for a chloramine system is a bit different from one treated with free chlorine. Your tropical fish dealer can advise you on how to change your treatment technique.

Depending on your location, chloramine residuals will be up to 3 mg/l (milligrams per liter) in your tap water. Generally speaking, the closer you are to one of our water conditioning plants, the higher the residual will be.

We want to be sure that your questions about your water are answered, so please don't hesitate to call Bill Maier, Water Quality Administrator, at 702-6813.