Serving the Communities of Fox Point, Glendale, and Whitefish Bay
400 W Bender Rd, Glendale, WI 53217
(414) 963-0160 voice, (414) 967-5142 fax
Office Hours: Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 pm
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NSWC Improves Its Water Treatment
In Fall 2008, the North Shore Water Commission (NSWC) will be enhancing the taste and smell of its water by switching from chlorine to chloramine disinfection for our water distribution system. This conversion will impact Fox Point, Glendale, Whitefish Bay, and We Energy water customers.
Many utilities throughout the U.S. are switching to chloramine-treated disinfectant in the distribution system because it offers numerous benefits, including:
- Enhanced taste and smell of water
- Prolonged residual strength (this means the disinfectant lasts longer in the system, protecting your water from the time it leaves the water plant to when it enters your home)
- Decreased production of harmful by-products
Milwaukee and surrounding suburbs have been successfully using chloramine-treated water since the 1960s.
Like chlorine, chloramines can impact aquatic life, kidney dialysis treatment, and business and industries that rely heavily on highly-processed water. Older homes with lead plumbing may also experience a lead increase in their drinking water for a short time period.
Aquatic Life Owners
Just like chlorine, chloramine will need to be removed from water for fish, amphibians, and reptiles.
Treatment products that remove ammonia and chloramine, include:
- Water conditioning drops and tablets
- Biological filter for ammonia
- Chemical agent for chlorine
Likely, the same water conditioning drops and tablets used to treat chlorine in your fish tank will also treat chloramine, meaning no changes are necessary.
Kidney Dialysis Clinics and Patients
It is safe for dialysis patients to drink, cook with, and bathe in chloramine-treated water because the digestive system neutralizes chloramines before it enters the blood stream. However, chloramines must be removed from water prior to using for dialysis treatment.
If you receive dialysis treatment at home, talk with your medical supplier and physician to take the proper precautions. NSWC is working with clinics and doctors’ offices to notify them of needed changes.
Business and Industries Using Highly Processed Water
Beverage manufacturers and restaurants with fish tanks are examples of companies that may need to adjust or upgrade their current filtration and treatment system to remove chloramine from their water.
Your equipment supplier or a water treatment professional can answer questions about how chloramine will impact your current system and recommend solutions to fit your business need.
Because businesses in Milwaukee and the surrounding area have been operating with chloramine water since the 1960s, solutions are readily available.
Owners of Homes with Lead in their Plumbing
NSWC is undertaking efforts to ensure lead levels in homes remain safe during and after the conversion. Chloramines can cause a corrosive action in the distribution pipes. As a result, homes with lead in their plumbing could potentially experience increased lead in drinking water.
NSWC is aware of this possibility and is proactively monitoring lead levels and providing additional treatment precautions to address this potential circumstance.
Please note that some of our reports are in pdf format, therefore you will need Adobe Acrobat to open the files.
You can reach us by e-mail at: info@northshorewc.com
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