Basic Information about Chloramines and Drinking Water Disinfection

Chloramines are disinfectants used to treat drinking water. Chloramines are most commonly formed when ammonia is added to chlorine to treat drinking water. Chloramines provide longer-lasting disinfection as the water moves through pipes to consumers. This type of disinfection is known as secondary disinfection.

• What are chloramines? (pdf) (33.34 KB)
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• How long has monochloramine been used as a drinking water disinfectant? How is monochloramine typically used? How many people/water utilities use monochloramine? (pdf) (35.67 KB)
  This document answers the questions: "how long has monochloramine been used as a drinking water disinfectant," "how is monochloramine typically used," and "how many people/water utilities use monochloramine"
• Why is drinking water disinfected? What is the difference between primary and secondary disinfection? How is monochloramine used in a treatment plant? (pdf) (37.85 KB)
  This one page document discusses why drinking water is disinfected, what the difference between primary and secondary disinfection is, and how monochloramine is used in a treatment plant
• What disinfectants are available for drinking water? (pdf) (30.21 KB)
  This document discusses the types of disinfectants that are available for drinking water
• How effective is monochloramine vs. chlorine as a primary disinfectant? (pdf) (33.72 KB)
  This document contains information about the effectiveness of monochloramine vs. chlorine as a primary disinfectant
• How effective is monochloramine vs. chlorine as a secondary disinfectant? (pdf) (35.29 KB)
  This document contains information about effectiveness of monochloramine vs. chlorine as a secondary disinfectant