How do you get chlorine out of tap water?
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Part of our tap water guide
The glass smells faintly of the swimming baths. What do UK official sources say you can do about it, and how can you check it at your own tap with a 20-in-1 test strip?
Short answer: The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) says cooling tap water in a jug in the fridge reduces the chlorine smell and taste, with unused water thrown away after 24 hours, and offers a carbon jug filter as an option. It says water companies typically keep residual chlorine to 0.5 mg/l or less.
By Andrew Tomlinson, WaterKit · Last reviewed 29 October 2026
Do you need to remove chlorine from tap water?
Going by the DWI's chlorine page, it is a matter of taste. The DWI says the trace of chlorine is there to preserve the water's quality through the miles of pipes, and that it becomes a concern because some people are very sensitive to its taste and smell. It says disinfecting and holding a residual in the network is a regulatory requirement in England and Wales, and that most water companies aim to keep the level below 1 mg/l. It also quotes a World Health Organization health-based guideline maximum of 5 mg/l. In Scotland, the Drinking Water Quality Regulator says Scottish Water tightly controls the amount added.
Our chlorine smell guide explains the levels. This guide is about removing it.
How do you get chlorine out of tap water?
The DWI describes two home methods, a covered jug in the fridge and a carbon jug filter.
| Method | What the DWI says |
|---|---|
| Jug of tap water in the fridge | Left for a short period, it reduces the chlorine smell and taste. Throw away unused water after 24 hours and clean the jug regularly. The DWI calls a clean, glass, covered jug a more cost-effective solution than buying a carbon filter |
| Jug filter with an activated carbon cartridge | An option for people sensitive to the taste. Follow all the maker's instructions, because not doing so can give rise to contamination and hygiene problems |
| Boiling or other methods | Not offered as ways to remove chlorine in the DWI pages we read. Our boiling guide sets out what boiling does and does not change |
The DWI also advises drinking and cooking with freshly drawn water from the cold tap fed directly from the mains, nearly always the kitchen tap. For more on taste, see our taste guide.
How long does chlorine last in water?
We found no UK official figure in the sources we read. The DWI says "a short period" in the fridge, and its 24 hours is the time after which to throw away unused water, not a measured chlorine time.
Does a water filter remove chlorine?
A carbon one is the type the DWI points to for taste and smell. Its page on domestic filters says removing objectionable tastes and odours is the most common reason people buy a filter, and that the filter should contain activated carbon. It adds that a cartridge not changed in line with the maker's instructions will cease to be effective and may leach other chemicals or bacteria, and that small black particles after carbon filtering are likely to be carbon from the filter. We found no figure in those pages for how much chlorine a given jug removes. Our filter jug guide and filter change guide cover the rest.
Reverse osmosis (RO) is different. In the sources we read, the DWI does not say what an RO unit does to chlorine. It says RO removes most dissolved solids, produces a waste stream of 20 to 30% of the incoming flow, should be considered only for specialist domestic purposes, and that RO water is not generally considered suitable for drinking and cooking. Our reverse osmosis guide has more.
Does chloramine leave water in the same way?
The sources we read do not say. The DWI's manual for small supplies says chlorine reacting with ammonia forms chloramines, which are less potent disinfectants than chlorine and can give rise to taste and odour complaints. The DWI pages we read do not say whether a fridge jug or a carbon filter works on chloramine. The sensible next step is to ask your water company which disinfectant your supply uses. Our chloramine guide covers the difference.
Why might the chlorine at your tap differ from the area figure?
The area figure is an average. Your tap can differ, and the DWI gives several reasons. It also says your water company will provide a free water quality report on request showing the maximum and minimum residual chlorine in your local supply, and that the DWI website lists these levels for each company.
- Distance from the works. A property near the water treatment works may get a little more chlorine than one several miles away.
- Maintenance. The DWI says higher levels are sometimes needed while the pipe network is being maintained.
- Standing water. After several hours with no water used, the DWI advises drawing off a washing-up bowlful before drinking.
- Storage tanks. It says hot water and bathroom taps usually come from a loft tank and are not as fresh as the mains. Our loft tank guide explains.
- Home plumbing. The DWI says a common cause of TCP-like tastes is the hoses that connect appliances to the supply, and that some plastic kettles and anti-splash devices in taps may also be the cause. It advises contacting your water company about a strong smell or one that does not go away.
“Your area figure is an average, so I would treat it as a starting point rather than a description of your kitchen tap. Things like how far you are from the works, how long the water has sat in your pipes and what your own plumbing is doing can all shift what you get, so a quick check at your own tap is a sensible habit.”
What one reader found
A member of a UK homebrewing forum described crushing a Campden tablet into their tap water before brewing. They said one tablet is divided across about 35 litres, enough for both mash and sparge water, even an hour before starting, and that it "works a treat with my tap water". The thread began with another member asking what problem it would fix, since they noticed no off smells or tastes. This is one brewer's practice for brewing, not drinking advice, and the DWI pages we read do not mention it. Shared on the Homebrew Forum UK.
How can you check chlorine at your own tap before and after?
Dip a strip in cold kitchen tap water, treat a sample, and dip a fresh strip. Both chlorine pads read in steps, so a drop only shows if it crosses one. Both read 0 until the first step at 0.5 mg/l, which is where the DWI says typical tap levels top out, so many taps will read 0 or 0.5 and leave little room to show a drop. A strip result is not a legal sample, and it says nothing about taste or chloramine removal. The table is our reading of the chart steps, not a claim from any regulator.
| Pad | Chart steps (mg/L) | What a before and after can indicate |
|---|---|---|
| Free chlorine | 0, 0.5, 1, 3, 5, 10, 20 | A tap at 0.5 or 1 and a treated sample at 0 indicates the level fell below the first step. Two matching readings say only that any change is smaller than one step |
| Total chlorine | 0, 0.5, 1, 3, 5, 10, 20 | The same comparison. The portal describes this pad as free and combined chlorine together, but we have not tested how it reads chloraminated water and make no claim about it |
In our reading, a result of 3 or more would sit above the 1 mg/l most companies aim below. The DWI says higher levels are sometimes needed during maintenance, and advises contacting your water company about a particularly strong smell or one that does not go away in a short time.
To try it, fill a clean glass or cup, dip one strip, wait 30 to 60 seconds and match the pads to the chart. You can also scan the QR code on the chart, or go to the results checker, to enter the colours. No app or account is needed. Treat a sample one way at a time (a covered jug in the fridge, or freshly filtered water) and dip a fresh strip in each.
The area figure is an average, and the DWI gives distance from the works, maintenance work and water standing in your pipes as reasons your tap can differ. The free and total chlorine pads are the ones that matter here, and a tap reading of 0.5 or 1 against 0 in a treated sample indicates the level fell below the first step. Best pack: 20 strips, enough for five rounds of four strips, one tap sample and three treated ones, £5.99 (or £10.99 with a bacteria test), with free 2nd Class delivery on every order. See the kit
Your chlorine removal questions
How to remove chlorine from tap water
The DWI's first suggestion is a jug of tap water in the fridge for a short period, with unused water thrown away after 24 hours.
How to remove chlorine in drinking water
For drinking, the DWI names the fridge jug and a carbon jug filter, and says to follow the maker's instructions on any filter.
How to get rid of chlorine in tap water
Use the fridge jug or carbon filter above. If your supply uses chloramine, the sources we read give no home method.
How to get rid of chlorine in water
For drinking water, the same two routes apply. For fish, see our tap water in a fish tank guide.
How to remove chlorine in water
The routes above are for tap water. This guide does not cover pools or hot tubs, and our hot tub chemicals guide is the place to start.
How to reduce chlorine in water
A fridge jug reduces the smell and taste, says the DWI.
Does reverse osmosis remove chlorine
We found no figure in the sources we read. The DWI says RO is for specialist uses and adds up to a third to metered bills.
Do water filter jugs remove chlorine
The DWI suggests a jug filter with an activated carbon cartridge for people sensitive to the taste, and says to change the cartridge on schedule.
How long do chlorine tablets last in water
The sources we read do not cover chlorine tablets, so we give no figure here.
Sources
- Drinking Water Inspectorate, Chlorine (why chlorine is used; sensitivity to taste and smell; typically 0.5 mg/l or less as free or combined chlorine; most companies below 1 mg/l; WHO 5 mg/l; fridge jug and 24 hours; carbon jug filter; distance, maintenance, standing water, loft tanks, TCP-like tastes; undated page; read 29 October 2026).
- Drinking Water Inspectorate, Domestic water filters and softeners (activated carbon for taste and odour; cartridge changes and leaching; covered jug more cost-effective; reverse osmosis; undated page; read 29 October 2026).
- Drinking Water Inspectorate, Manual on treatment for small water supply systems (private supplies guidance adapted from a 2001 report; section 2.4.2 on chloramines; undated page; read 29 October 2026).
- Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland, Chlorine (amount tightly controlled by Scottish Water; undated page; read 29 October 2026).
- Homebrew Forum UK, Removing chlorine from tap water (a member's post dated 13 September 2023; one member's brewing practice, not official advice; read 29 October 2026).
- WaterKit, Water Test Kit (20-in-1 strip, 30 to 60 second read, optional rapid coliform test, from £3.99, free 2nd Class delivery on every order) and results portal. The strip-chart table is WaterKit's own reading of the colour chart steps.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.