L
Lester
Plumber
Tampa Bay water guide
Updated for 2026
Chlorine and Chloramine in Tampa Bay Tap Water
Most Tampa Bay city water is disinfected with chloramine, a mix of chlorine and ammonia. The City of Tampa uses chloramine most of the year and switches to plain chlorine for about three weeks at a time, several times a year, which is when many people notice a stronger chlorine smell. The water meets EPA standards. If you want the taste and smell out, you need carbon made for chloramine, such as the Halo H2 Zero Ultimate ($4,999 installed), or a reverse osmosis system at the sink ($1,749).
- Plumbing license CFC1431159
- 4.8 stars from 1,300+ reviews
- Background-checked, drug-tested techs
- Hablamos español
At a glance
- City of Tampa
- Chloramine, with chlorine switches several times a year
- Pinellas County Utilities
- Chloramine since 2002
- Is it safe?
- Utilities test it to EPA standards
- Whole-house removal
- Halo H2 Zero Ultimate, $4,999 installed
- Drinking water
- Halo Ultra Plus reverse osmosis, $1,749
- Does not remove it
- Sediment filters and salt softeners
Chlorine vs chloramine: the short version
Both are added to city water to kill bacteria in the pipes on the way to your house.
Chlorine
Strong smell and taste, and it fades faster. Plain carbon filters remove it easily.
Chloramine
Chlorine bonded with ammonia. It lasts longer in the pipes and smells less, but it is harder to remove and needs carbon made for chloramine.
Why the smell changes
When Tampa switches from chloramine to chlorine for maintenance, people who are sensitive to it notice the stronger chlorine smell for a few weeks.
What our customers say
Recent reviews from Tampa Bay homeowners, refreshed every day from Google. See all our reviews.
★★★★★ 4.8 (1,398 verified reviews)
Verified4.8★ · 1,398 reviews🛡 FL Licensed: CAC1819196 · CFC1431159💼 $1M General Liability + Workers’ Comp🏠 Family-owned since 2017⚡ Same-day service
My outside unit stopped working over the weekend. I called Home Therapist on a Sunday and was able to book an appointment for the next day;not needing to leave a message and…
The guys are very professional and very reliable.
MaintenanceThey were quick and available, when my AC was completely out they were able to come out within 24 hours and quickly found the issue and resolved it same day. Their preventative…
Very professional and easy to work with. Showed up on time, provided details with different options and was able to make the repairs same day. Great job & thank you!
Water heaterI have use Home Therapist for heat pump replacement, dishwasher repair and most recently hot water heater replacement. They have been exceptional for each job! Highly recommend
Water heaterI had a great experience with Home Therapist Cooling, Heating, and Plumbing. We were getting our house ready to sell and the home inspection identified several plumbing issues that needed to be…
AC installI was in need of air conditioning for my detached garage. My AI search for the most trustworthy mini-split AC installer led me to Home Therapist; my expectations were exceeded. Scheduling a…
AC installExcellent service from Richard! He was professional, courteous, and very knowledgeable. He fixed my A/C problem quickly and explained everything clearly. I highly recommend Richard for anyone needing A/C service. had a…
AC repairI had a great experience with Home Therapist AC Repair. Alejandro arrived on time to diagnose why my AC wasn't cooling and quickly found the problem that the previous company had missed.…
Latest review: October 2026 · auto-refreshed daily
Systems we install that remove chlorine and chloramine
Installed prices from our price book. The estimate is FREE, and you approve a written quote before any work starts.
| System | Installed price |
|---|---|
| Halo H2 Zero Ultimate, whole house: removes chlorine and chloramines, premium carbon, no electricity or backwash | $4,999 |
| HALO Hybrid, whole house: reduces chlorine and stops scale | $5,999 |
| Halo Ultra Plus reverse osmosis, under the kitchen sink: removes chlorine, chloramines and sediment | $1,749 |
| Sediment filter (removes grit, not chlorine; details) | $627 to $1,051 |
Prices are for an indoor install. An outdoor install needs a galvanized enclosure, quoted separately. See all the Halo systems on our Halo water systems page.
How to find out what is in your water
- Read the reportYour utility publishes a yearly water quality report that names the disinfectant it uses.
- Watch the noticesTampa and Pinellas announce their temporary switches to chlorine ahead of time.
- Check the hardness tooCity water here is also hard. See is Tampa water hard?
- Ask usWe look at your water and your plumbing and recommend one system, and the estimate is FREE.
What Tampa Bay utilities use
Check your own utility, because it depends on who supplies your water.
- City of TampaThe Tampa Water Department uses chloramine most of the year and switches to chlorine several times a year, usually in winter and summer, for three weeks at a time, to keep bacteria from growing in the mains (source).
- Pinellas County UtilitiesPinellas County Utilities changed from chlorine to chloramines in 2002 (source) and temporarily converts to chlorine as routine maintenance (source).
- Other utilitiesHillsborough County, Pasco County and the cities each publish their own water quality report. Look for the disinfectant section.
- WellsPrivate wells are not chlorinated by a utility. Well water has its own issues; see well water treatment.
Want the chlorine taste gone?
Call or text us. We will recommend one system for your water, and the estimate is FREE.
The plumbers behind this guide
Our plumbing work is done under Alejandro Morales’s Florida Certified Plumbing Contractor license, CFC1431159. Every tech is background-checked and drug-tested, factory-trained, and trains with us every week. Meet the whole team.
Alejandro
HVAC and plumbing technician
Related guides and services
Halo water systemsEvery Halo system we install, with prices.
Water filtrationWhole-home and under-sink filtration.
RO vs whole-home filtrationWhich one fits your house.
Is Tampa water hard?Hardness numbers and what they mean.
Whole-home vs under-sink filtersThe trade-offs.
Water softener installationRheem, Halo, North Star and Safety Zone softeners.
Where we install water treatment
We serve the three counties of Tampa Bay from our shop at 1408 W Linebaugh Ave in Tampa.
Hillsborough County
Tampa, Brandon, Riverview, Carrollwood, Town ‘n’ Country, Plant City, Ruskin, Sun City Center, Apollo Beach, Valrico, Lutz, Seffner
Pinellas County
St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo, Dunedin, Oldsmar, Safety Harbor, Pinellas Park, Seminole, Tarpon Springs, Treasure Island, St. Pete Beach
Pasco County
Wesley Chapel, Land O Lakes, New Port Richey, Holiday, Hudson, Trinity, Zephyrhills, Dade City
Chlorine and chloramine questions
Does Tampa use chlorine or chloramine?
The City of Tampa uses chloramine most of the year. Several times a year, usually in winter and summer, it switches to plain chlorine for about three weeks to keep bacteria from growing in the water mains.
Why does my Tampa water smell like chlorine sometimes?
That is usually the temporary switch from chloramine to chlorine. People who are sensitive to chlorine notice the stronger smell and taste until the switch ends.
Is chloramine in tap water safe?
The utilities treat and test the water to EPA standards, and the City of Tampa says the water is safe to drink during both chloramine and chlorine periods. Many people still remove it for taste, smell or skin and hair preference.
Does a regular carbon filter remove chloramine?
Plain carbon removes chlorine well but is much less effective on chloramine. You need carbon made for chloramine, like the media in the Halo H2 Zero Ultimate, or a reverse osmosis system.
Does a water softener remove chlorine?
A salt softener removes hardness, not chlorine or chloramine. The HALO Hybrid combines scale control with chlorine reduction in one system.
What is the cheapest way to remove chloramine from drinking water?
An under-sink reverse osmosis system for the kitchen. The Halo Ultra Plus reverse osmosis is $1,749 installed and removes chlorine and chloramines.
Get the chlorine taste out of your water
Open 24 hours, 7 days a week. The diagnosis and the estimate are FREE, and you approve the price before any work starts.
Hablamos español. Llámenos o envíenos un texto al (813) 343-2212.
★★★★★ 4.8 (1,398 verified reviews)
Verified4.8★ · 1,398 reviews🛡 FL Licensed: CAC1819196 · CFC1431159💼 $1M General Liability + Workers’ Comp🏠 Family-owned since 2017⚡ Same-day service
My outside unit stopped working over the weekend. I called Home Therapist on a Sunday and was able to book an appointment for the next day;not needing to leave a message and…
The guys are very professional and very reliable.
MaintenanceThey were quick and available, when my AC was completely out they were able to come out within 24 hours and quickly found the issue and resolved it same day. Their preventative…
Very professional and easy to work with. Showed up on time, provided details with different options and was able to make the repairs same day. Great job & thank you!
Water heaterI have use Home Therapist for heat pump replacement, dishwasher repair and most recently hot water heater replacement. They have been exceptional for each job! Highly recommend
Water heaterI had a great experience with Home Therapist Cooling, Heating, and Plumbing. We were getting our house ready to sell and the home inspection identified several plumbing issues that needed to be…
AC installI was in need of air conditioning for my detached garage. My AI search for the most trustworthy mini-split AC installer led me to Home Therapist; my expectations were exceeded. Scheduling a…
AC installExcellent service from Richard! He was professional, courteous, and very knowledgeable. He fixed my A/C problem quickly and explained everything clearly. I highly recommend Richard for anyone needing A/C service. had a…
AC repairI had a great experience with Home Therapist AC Repair. Alejandro arrived on time to diagnose why my AC wasn't cooling and quickly found the problem that the previous company had missed.…
Latest review: October 2026 · auto-refreshed daily