For the last week and for the next 2 weeks miami dade water and sewer has stopped adding chloramine and has started adding larger than normal ammounts of pure chlorine. They are doing this to flush out thier system so make sure you guys have a good carbon block in those ROs. After this period they are going back to using chloramine as federal law mandates.
Public Service Announcement about Dade Water Quality
- Thread starter rawbomb
- Start date
Rogger Castells
New member
Ray Works for the source...the city!
TorryRx
New member
Let me tell you guys from experience...take this very seriously!
A few months ago, West Palm found enterobacteria in the water supply and started flushing the system with chlorine. I mistakenly thought that my 5-stage RO/DI auto top-off would catch the chlorine...unfortunately, the amount overwhelmed my filter and I lost around 8 fish, including a breath-taking linneatus wrasse and a pair of Helfrichi firefish. I was literally in tears when I brought the dying wrasse to an ichthyologist friend of mine and he said without a doubt it was chlorine poisoning.
Since the chlorine had already made it to my system and I couldn't use the RO/DI from home, I decided to add Prime to my tanks, and it stopped the chlorine poisoning immediately. My skimmers went crazy, but at least I didn't lose any more of my fish.
Oddly enough, my corals were completely unaffected.
Rawbomb, it is so cool of you to warn everyone!
The chlorine can easily overwhelm an RO/DI...so keep an eye out!
A few months ago, West Palm found enterobacteria in the water supply and started flushing the system with chlorine. I mistakenly thought that my 5-stage RO/DI auto top-off would catch the chlorine...unfortunately, the amount overwhelmed my filter and I lost around 8 fish, including a breath-taking linneatus wrasse and a pair of Helfrichi firefish. I was literally in tears when I brought the dying wrasse to an ichthyologist friend of mine and he said without a doubt it was chlorine poisoning.
Since the chlorine had already made it to my system and I couldn't use the RO/DI from home, I decided to add Prime to my tanks, and it stopped the chlorine poisoning immediately. My skimmers went crazy, but at least I didn't lose any more of my fish.
Oddly enough, my corals were completely unaffected.
Rawbomb, it is so cool of you to warn everyone!
The chlorine can easily overwhelm an RO/DI...so keep an eye out!
Hmmmm. Should we be adding a 'dash of prime to every RO/DI topoff we do? You've got me worried now...
Would a dash of prime help, or only the full treatment? I figured a dash might do it since the carbon should have taken out a sizable proportion of it.
Sorry to hear about your fish Torry.
I'm going to call Palm Beach water department on Monday and ask around... I'll also ask about the zinc orthophosphate and see what they've got to say about it. Maybe we're in luck and it's just a northeast thing.
Would a dash of prime help, or only the full treatment? I figured a dash might do it since the carbon should have taken out a sizable proportion of it.
Sorry to hear about your fish Torry.
I'm going to call Palm Beach water department on Monday and ask around... I'll also ask about the zinc orthophosphate and see what they've got to say about it. Maybe we're in luck and it's just a northeast thing.
The unit is fine 98% of the time. Its only one time a year that they flood the drinking water with chlorine.
Here is the realease from WASD:
The Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (WASD) will change its method of chlorination at each of its regional water treatment facilities for two weeks, beginning Monday, December 3, 2007, and ending on Sunday, December 16, 2007.
Both the Miami-Dade County Department of Health and the Department of Environmental Resources Management require this regular, free-chlorine treatment on an annual basis. This routine procedure is regularly scheduled each year, as free chlorine is considered an effective method of cleansing water distribution systems.
Specifically, drinking water will be treated with free chlorine, instead of the combined chlorine (chloramine), which is normally used. WASD regularly used free chlorine to treat water before November 1983, when regulations on trihalomethanes (THMs) went into effect. WASD has since used combined chlorine to comply with the THM regulations.
County residents may experience some chlorine smell and/or taste in their water during this short-term changeover. This is normal as free chlorine has a slightly different taste and smell than combined chlorine. The temporary change does not cause adverse health affects and is a necessary part of WASD’s ongoing efforts to provide safe, potable drinking water to Miami-Dade County residents.
Here is the realease from WASD:
The Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (WASD) will change its method of chlorination at each of its regional water treatment facilities for two weeks, beginning Monday, December 3, 2007, and ending on Sunday, December 16, 2007.
Both the Miami-Dade County Department of Health and the Department of Environmental Resources Management require this regular, free-chlorine treatment on an annual basis. This routine procedure is regularly scheduled each year, as free chlorine is considered an effective method of cleansing water distribution systems.
Specifically, drinking water will be treated with free chlorine, instead of the combined chlorine (chloramine), which is normally used. WASD regularly used free chlorine to treat water before November 1983, when regulations on trihalomethanes (THMs) went into effect. WASD has since used combined chlorine to comply with the THM regulations.
County residents may experience some chlorine smell and/or taste in their water during this short-term changeover. This is normal as free chlorine has a slightly different taste and smell than combined chlorine. The temporary change does not cause adverse health affects and is a necessary part of WASD’s ongoing efforts to provide safe, potable drinking water to Miami-Dade County residents.
Palm beach says they've been doing it since Dec. 4th and continue until Jan 11th. At least that's how I interpreted it. Maybe rawbomb has a better interpretation...:
http://wpb.org/utilities/showStory.php?file=07-12-03Freechlorinetreatmentextended.php
http://wpb.org/utilities/showStory.php?file=07-12-03Freechlorinetreatmentextended.php
Yeah i have that take on it too. Well atlease your water department even mentions "tropical fish tank owners" in it. They must be extending because they found something too.
I know here im miami dade there was a leak and some bacteria was found in the water supply by krome and 107th or so and they dumped huge quanitities of chlorine into the system but just in that area. I heard from a co worker who lived in the area that the water tasted like pool water but i dont think WPB is going that far either.
I had a 9month old chloramine block that was probably done for anyway so thats probably why i had an issue but i got that resolved with a new block.
I know here im miami dade there was a leak and some bacteria was found in the water supply by krome and 107th or so and they dumped huge quanitities of chlorine into the system but just in that area. I heard from a co worker who lived in the area that the water tasted like pool water but i dont think WPB is going that far either.
I had a 9month old chloramine block that was probably done for anyway so thats probably why i had an issue but i got that resolved with a new block.
db_triggerfish
Premium Member
rawbomb, Thanks for then heads up this can easliy crash many tanks. Does anyone know of a good chlorine test? I would think the pool test kits are not to the level of ppm that we need in a reef tank. Will running carbon work help?
ahoyhoy239
Member
i live just off krome ave and 180th st but i havent noticed anything different about the water by taste, then then again we have a huge multistage filtration and reservoir system taking water from the well so i probably wouldnt notice it anyways
If you get your water from a well, you might see the slightest slightest slightest increase of chlorine content in your home water, but that would be after 99% or so filtration through runoff and the soil itself filtering that water (soil has more or less the binding capacity of phosban to some extent), and then that chlorine would have to break through your home filter as well. In the end, it would be so insignificant an increase that it's less than negligible.
Lee, I don't think that the TDS of the water would be significantly impacted by an increase from a chlorine addition, but I could be wrong here. Someone else should have a better idea.
jman77
New member
" Originally posted by ahoyhoy239
i live just off krome ave and 180th st but i havent noticed anything different about the water by taste, then then again we have a huge multistage filtration and reservoir system taking water from the well so i probably wouldn't notice it anyways "
There is no way that you would be affected by the municipal treatment plants super chlorinating the lines. Chlorine is gas by nature, and it seeks to return to being gas. That is the one of the reasons the water plants bind it to ammonia so it stays in solution, as well as why you could let chlorinated water site out and use it in your tank later safely.
Now, some Hard Water, Water treatment systems do inject chlorine ( for the rust I believe) , but you should know if it does as it’s your system
It's also good pratice to get your well water tested to see exatly what is coming up as you could be pulling up some nastys.
i live just off krome ave and 180th st but i havent noticed anything different about the water by taste, then then again we have a huge multistage filtration and reservoir system taking water from the well so i probably wouldn't notice it anyways "
There is no way that you would be affected by the municipal treatment plants super chlorinating the lines. Chlorine is gas by nature, and it seeks to return to being gas. That is the one of the reasons the water plants bind it to ammonia so it stays in solution, as well as why you could let chlorinated water site out and use it in your tank later safely.
Now, some Hard Water, Water treatment systems do inject chlorine ( for the rust I believe) , but you should know if it does as it’s your system
It's also good pratice to get your well water tested to see exatly what is coming up as you could be pulling up some nastys.
Last edited:
FleeVT
Premium Member
Eric, you're right TDS won't detect chlorine; they do sell test for the levels we would be testing. I store my RODI from anywhere from 2 days to a week with circulation, and from what I've read, that is ample time for the chlorine to evaporate out of the water. As a side note, I have noticed a smell in the Boca water. I commented to my wife about it last week. I thought maybe she had just started a laundry load of whites with bleach in it (in hind site, I should have kept my mouth as she decided to comment on the length of our lawn...)
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