How long does chlorine take to break down if a house hold water supply is contaminated?
OK, so lets get some basic facts right here. Chlorine does not break down at all, it is an element so it can only combine to form molecules within the water or it dissipates into the atmosphere once it is released from your tap. Chlorine or sometimes chloramine is added to mains water supplies to keep them biologically safe to drink. Your water supplier has a duty to supply you with wholesome water and a little too much chlorine is much better for you than bacteria or viruses. However, if your water supply has had a high spike of chlorine, it has nowhere to go whilst it is under pressure in the pipe. Running the tap will flush the pipes but if you still do not like the taste of the water, run a jug and put it in the fridge overnight. It will taste better the next day as the chlorine has had a chance to come out of the water at atmospheric pressure. Even quicker is to use one of the carbon filter jugs which adsorbs the chlorine and other chemicals into the carbon.
