Is Chloramine in Shower Water Safe? What EPA and State Sources Say

Is Chloramine in Shower Water Safe? What EPA and State Sources Say

ByKen

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Is chloramine in shower water safe? The U.S. EPA says water that contains chloramine is safe for bathing when it meets the agency’s regulatory standards. The EPA’s chloramine page lists bathing among the household uses it considers safe for water that contains chloramines and meets those standards. Chloramine is a disinfectant that many city water systems add to keep water clean through long pipe runs. This guide explains what the EPA and Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection say about it, what the sources do not answer about showering, and what a reader can check in their own water report.

Quick answer

  • The EPA states that “Water that contains chloramines and meets EPA regulatory standards is safe to use for” drinking, cooking, bathing, and other household uses.
  • Chloramine is formed when ammonia is added to chlorine, and utilities use it because it provides “longer-lasting disinfection as the water moves through pipes to consumers.”
  • The EPA’s question list includes “Can I shower in or use a humidifier with chloraminated water?” The answer text was not on the page we opened, so this guide does not quote one.
  • If your water comes from a city system, your utility’s annual report says whether it uses chloramine. The report is the first place to check.

What chloramine is and why utilities use it

Chloramine is a disinfectant, which means it is added to water to kill or limit microorganisms. The EPA’s chloramine page explains that chloramines are “most commonly formed when ammonia is added to chlorine to treat drinking water.” The same page says they “provide longer-lasting disinfection as the water moves through pipes to consumers.” That longer-lasting effect is the main reason utilities use it.

Pennsylvania DEP describes the same tradeoff in plain language. Its public page says that chloramine “is a weaker disinfectant than chlorine, it is more stable which extends its disinfectant benefits throughout a water utility’s distribution system.” It also says that “Some water systems use chloramine as a secondary disinfectant to maintain a disinfectant residual throughout the distribution system so that drinking water remains safe as it travels from the treatment facility to the customer.”

The EPA says chloramines have been used by water utilities “since the 1930s.” It adds that “More than one in five Americans uses drinking water treated with chloramines.” Pennsylvania DEP says chloramine “has been used by water systems for almost 90 years, and its use is closely regulated.” Those statements describe how common the practice is, not whether a particular home’s water contains chloramine.

How the EPA describes chloramine and bathing

The EPA’s chloramine page lists four household uses: drinking, cooking, bathing, and other household uses. It states that water containing chloramines is safe for those uses when it “meets EPA regulatory standards.” The statement is a general one. It does not give a measured level for showers, and it does not describe any study of bathing with chloraminated water.

The EPA also keeps a set of question-and-answer pages on monochloramine, the form of chloramine used in drinking water. The page we opened lists the questions people often ask, including “Can I shower in or use a humidifier with chloraminated water?” and “Does monochloramine cause skin problems?” and “Does monochloramine cause breathing problems?” The page we opened shows the questions with links to individual answers. We did not open those individual answers, so this guide does not summarize them. Readers who want the EPA’s detailed answers on skin and breathing should open those pages directly.

The EPA page we opened is an archived copy dated January 19, 2025. It says that it “is no longer updated.” For the current version, check the EPA site, since the agency states that it “expects to periodically evaluate and possibly update” its chloramine questions when new information is available.

What Pennsylvania DEP adds

Pennsylvania DEP is a state environmental agency. Its public page on chloramine is a state handout that explains what the disinfectant is and why water systems use it. It gives the same general answer as the EPA: chloramine is used in drinking water under close regulation. The page is a state explanation, not a study of showering. It does not describe a shower-specific measurement, and it does not give a health finding for skin or breathing during bathing.

Because the state page is short, it is most useful for understanding the basics. Use it to learn how chloramine differs from chlorine and why a utility might choose it, then go to the utility’s own report for the details of your water.

What chloramine can and cannot tell you about a shower

A shower is different from drinking. The sources we opened speak to drinking, cooking, and bathing in general terms, and they do not give a separate figure for shower air or skin contact. We did not find a measured level for chloramine in shower air in the sources we opened, so we cannot say how much of the disinfectant a shower releases.

If your question is about a skin reaction, the EPA’s monochloramine page lists “Does monochloramine cause skin problems?” as a question, but the answer was not part of the page we opened. If you have a rash or breathing symptoms that you think may be linked to water, speak with a doctor. A doctor can ask about your history and other possible causes. A utility can tell you whether a recent change in disinfectant happened, which can matter for timing.

Chloramine should not be confused with chlorine. The sources we opened do not describe a smell or taste threshold for chloramine, so this guide does not state one.

How to check what your utility uses

Start with your utility’s annual consumer confidence report. The report describes the water delivered by the system, including the disinfectant in use, under the federal content rule. If the report names chloramine, you know your water is treated with it. If it names chlorine only, the chloramine question may not apply to your tap.

If the report is unclear, call the utility and ask two questions. First, does the system use chloramine as its disinfectant, and when did it start? Second, does the system provide any guidance for bathing or for households with fish, dialysis equipment, or other sensitive uses? The EPA question list includes an aquarium and dialysis question, which suggests those uses need separate advice. We did not open that answer, so treat it as a question to ask rather than an answer.

Some households choose a home filter. A filter should match the contaminant or disinfectant it is meant to remove, and its own certification should say what it removes. The sources we opened do not say which filters remove chloramine, so this guide does not recommend one. Read the certification on any product you consider. Two published guides on this site cover shower heads: removing water saver from a shower head and water-efficient hand-held shower heads.

How we chose

We chose the EPA’s chloramine page, the EPA’s monochloramine question list, and the Pennsylvania DEP public page on chloramine. We wanted a federal source with a statement on bathing and a state source from a different agency that explains the same disinfectant in plain language. The EPA chloramine page was opened from the January 2025 archive copy on 2026-10-29. The EPA monochloramine page was opened on the same date. Pennsylvania DEP’s page was opened on the same date. The quotes in this guide are copied from those saved texts.

What we could not verify

  • We did not verify the answer text for the EPA questions on showering, skin problems, breathing problems, aquariums, or dialysis, because those answer pages were not opened.
  • We did not find a measured level of chloramine in shower air or shower water in the sources we opened.
  • The EPA page we opened is an archived copy. We did not confirm the current version, and the EPA says it may update the page.
  • The sources do not state a health outcome from showering in chloraminated water. This guide does not claim one in either direction.
  • We did not verify which home filters remove chloramine. The certification on each product is the only reliable check.

FAQ

Is chloramine in shower water safe?

The EPA says water that contains chloramines and meets its regulatory standards is safe to use for bathing, among other household uses. That is the answer the federal agency gives in its general statement. The sources we opened do not give a separate shower-air or shower-skin finding.

Is chloramine the same as chlorine?

No. The EPA says chloramines are “most commonly formed when ammonia is added to chlorine.” Pennsylvania DEP says chloramine is “a weaker disinfectant than chlorine” that is more stable in the distribution system.

How do I know if my water has chloramine?

Read your utility’s consumer confidence report, which describes the disinfectant the system uses. You can also call the utility and ask directly.

Does a shower filter remove chloramine?

The sources we opened do not say which filters remove chloramine. Check the certification on any filter you consider, since that is where a manufacturer states what it removes.

Should I ask my doctor about chloramine?

If you have a skin rash, breathing trouble, or another symptom you think may be connected to water, a doctor is the right person to ask. Bring your utility’s report with you.

Why do some people complain about chloramine?

The EPA’s own question list includes skin and breathing questions, so the topic is one the agency addresses. The answers were not part of the page we opened, so this guide does not summarize them as settled findings.

Bottom line

The EPA says chloraminated water that meets its standards is safe for bathing. Check your utility’s report to see whether chloramine is used in your water, and treat the EPA’s detailed answers on skin and breathing as the next step if you have a specific concern.

Sources

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