COUNTYWIDE : Chloramines to Be Used on Tap Water
The Calleguas Municipal Water District will begin using chloramines to disinfect tap water Aug. 5, officials said Tuesday.
The chemical, which contains ammonia, damages the red blood cells of dialysis users if it comes into direct contact with the blood, said Dave Bustamonte, Calleguas operations supervisor.
Dialysis users can drink the water, but it must be treated before being used in dialysis machines, he said.
“Chloramines are safe for drinking, baking, bathing and anything else we use water for,” Bustamonte said. Fish owners must also treat the water before putting it in tanks or ponds because chloramines could cause suffocation, he said.
The switch from chlorine to chloramines was made by the Metropolitan Water District, which delivers water to Calleguas and other districts in Southern California. Calleguas serves Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Camarillo and Oxnard.
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