Better Filters Urged to Remove Additive

Home dialysis patients in Port Hueneme and those who have aquariums are being urged to upgrade their filtration systems to deal with water treated with chloramine, the city’s water superintendent said.

In two months, the Calleguas Municipal Water District will install valves that will allow water treated with chloramine--a combination of ammonia and chlorine--to flow into Port Hueneme’s water system in the event of a water main break or other emergency, said Port Hueneme Water Supt. Jim Passanisi.

Chloramine is a blend of five parts chlorine and one part ammonia, Passanisi said. While it ensures pure and wholesome water, it must be reduced in the water supply of dialysis patients. Upgrading a water system involves installing a dual-carbon filter, he said.

In an emergency, Port Hueneme would get its water from the Calleguas-owned Springville Reservoir in Camarillo, which uses chloramine, Passanisi said.

The city has notified seven pet store owners about the possible use of chloramine and encourages those with aquariums at home to get the upgraded filter.

The state Department of Health Services is working with the city to identify the home dialysis users served by the water district. Port Hueneme has no dialysis clinics.

By the end of next year, the Port Hueneme Water Agency will have a new treatment plant on Perkins Road in Oxnard that will blend water from the Calleguas and the United Water Conservation districts, Passanisi said. The water, expected to taste better than that available now, will then be treated with chloramine by the agency, he said.

The agency currently gets 75% of its water from the United Water Conservation District, which operates deep and shallow water wells in the El Rio area, Passanisi said. The remaining water comes from the Calleguas district.

Chloramine’s benefits include lasting longer in water, Passanisi said.

Because it is a blended disinfectant, there probably will be higher operating costs, he said.