LEE COUNTRY, FL Utility Co. is changing it's disinfectant process....am I ok?

JEFFR259 · 05/01/2009, 07:27 AM

Morning Everyone.

I make my own RO/DI water, so I think I'm fine, but just wanted to double check with the experts. Here's the info on my county's website as of this morning:

Lee County Utilities will be temporarily converting its disinfectant process from chloramines to free chlorine residual from May 1 through May 29, 2009.

Tropical fish or aquatic animal owners should contact a local tropical fish store for appropriate pretreatment of water before adding water to tanks.

Again, I use RO/DI.....I'm good right?

THX!

Fun $ Pit · 05/01/2009, 01:26 PM

Depends - Does your RO/DI remove chlorine or chloramine? They are different and so are the filters you would use.

savethereef · 05/01/2009, 02:20 PM

my are in the past was using regular chlorine for the water and i used a regular carbon block. after they upgraded to chloromines and i had to change my carbon block to a catalytic carbon block which eliminates chloromines. but what i was told is that the catalytic carbon work for both regular chlorine and chloromines. Check with the manufacturer of your RODI they would give you the best answer.

JEFFR259 · 05/01/2009, 03:14 PM

thanks guys-----conveniently enough I got my system from Melev here on RC....I think I'll pm him now

redfishsc · 05/02/2009, 02:59 PM

You should be fine, but you need to watch your TDS coming out of the membrane, and also test your water for ammonia and such.

Water companies can do whacko things. I read on Melev's site where they have been known to pour straight ammonia into local areas for disinfecting the water.

As they switch their system over they might dose something in higher proportion than you might suspect.

You can get a cheap chlorine test kit from Lowes or Walmart for swimming pools.

therealfatman · 05/02/2009, 04:25 PM

Free chlorine disinfection is the old style of disifection using chlorine gas or chlorine hypochlorite. It is the easy chlorine to remove from water. All the differing carbons are effective at removing chlorine added by free chlorine disinfection. Cost and effectiveness gram per gram gives GAC the edge in such removal. Such chlorine can also be removed by aeration, for those not using an RODI arrangement. GAC will also remove chloramine quite effectively with carbon block filters being the least effective remover of chloroamine. Catalytic carbon is a nice improvement but unless you have very large water flow requirements there is no real advantage to its use. Also it provides very little additional advantage in chloroamine removal unless the temperature of your water is above 60 degrees F or so. It is most effecive at chloramine removal at temps of around 72 degrees F or above. That is quite a bit warmer than most tap water. Catalytic carbon for most home Reef tank filtration needs is akin to "renting a U-Haul trailer to return a library book."

05/01/2009, 07:27 AM	#1
JEFFR259 Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Fort Myers, FL Posts: 595	LEE COUNTRY, FL Utility Co. is changing it's disinfectant process....am I ok? Morning Everyone. I make my own RO/DI water, so I think I'm fine, but just wanted to double check with the experts. Here's the info on my county's website as of this morning: Lee County Utilities will be temporarily converting its disinfectant process from chloramines to free chlorine residual from May 1 through May 29, 2009. Tropical fish or aquatic animal owners should contact a local tropical fish store for appropriate pretreatment of water before adding water to tanks. Again, I use RO/DI.....I'm good right? THX!

05/01/2009, 01:26 PM	#2
Fun $ Pit Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Collierville, Tennessee Posts: 279	Depends - Does your RO/DI remove chlorine or chloramine? They are different and so are the filters you would use. __________________ Thank you. Drive Thru! Current Tank Info: 50G Brick Reef and a 6x2x2 in the works

05/01/2009, 02:20 PM	#3
savethereef SCRK Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Bellflower 90706 CA (So Cal) Posts: 6,786	my are in the past was using regular chlorine for the water and i used a regular carbon block. after they upgraded to chloromines and i had to change my carbon block to a catalytic carbon block which eliminates chloromines. but what i was told is that the catalytic carbon work for both regular chlorine and chloromines. Check with the manufacturer of your RODI they would give you the best answer. __________________ Instead of building a reef in my home i would rather build my home in the reef. Rob aka STR SCRK PRESIDENT SCMAS MEMBER Current Tank Info: 225 Star Fire With 70g Sump Vertex 250 Royal Exclusive protein Skimmer Laguna 2900 Return pump 4 Aquaillumination Sol Blue LED Modules. 2 x MP40 LPS and SPS with South Down 4 inch DBS Koralin Calcium Reactor. Reef Keeper Elite/ 15G frag

05/02/2009, 02:59 PM	#5
redfishsc Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Wake Forest, NC Posts: 3,716	You should be fine, but you need to watch your TDS coming out of the membrane, and also test your water for ammonia and such. Water companies can do whacko things. I read on Melev's site where they have been known to pour straight ammonia into local areas for disinfecting the water. As they switch their system over they might dose something in higher proportion than you might suspect. You can get a cheap chlorine test kit from Lowes or Walmart for swimming pools. __________________ "The measure of a life is not its duration but its donation." Corrie Ten Boom “The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins” -- Søren Kierkegaard Current Tank Info: ghetto grad school reef.....11g rimless tank, 36X9X9, lit by Cree and Rebels scobbled together. Stocked mostly with free stuff I got from panhandling my fellow reefers.

05/01/2009, 03:14 PM	#4
JEFFR259 Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Fort Myers, FL Posts: 595	thanks guys-----conveniently enough I got my system from Melev here on RC....I think I'll pm him now

05/02/2009, 04:25 PM	#6
therealfatman Moved On Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 1,472	Free chlorine disinfection is the old style of disifection using chlorine gas or chlorine hypochlorite. It is the easy chlorine to remove from water. All the differing carbons are effective at removing chlorine added by free chlorine disinfection. Cost and effectiveness gram per gram gives GAC the edge in such removal. Such chlorine can also be removed by aeration, for those not using an RODI arrangement. GAC will also remove chloramine quite effectively with carbon block filters being the least effective remover of chloroamine. Catalytic carbon is a nice improvement but unless you have very large water flow requirements there is no real advantage to its use. Also it provides very little additional advantage in chloroamine removal unless the temperature of your water is above 60 degrees F or so. It is most effecive at chloramine removal at temps of around 72 degrees F or above. That is quite a bit warmer than most tap water. Catalytic carbon for most home Reef tank filtration needs is akin to "renting a U-Haul trailer to return a library book."