Chloride in Drinking Water: Health Risks, Sources, and How to Remove It
Chloride is an inorganic contaminant commonly found in drinking water sources. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 250 mg/L for this substance. This guideline is primarily intended to manage aesthetic issues and protect infrastructure rather than address acute toxicity.
Health Effects
Elevated levels of chloride in drinking water can impart a noticeable salty taste, making it unpleasant to drink. In addition to aesthetic concerns, high chloride concentrations can cause corrosion in household pipes and plumbing systems. It is not associated with acute health risks, and concerns are focused on taste and infrastructure damage.
How Chloride Gets Into Tap Water
Chloride can enter water supplies through natural mineral deposits in the ground. It is also introduced to the environment through human activities such as road salting during winter weather. Sewage discharges can further contribute to the level of chloride in local water resources.
How to Remove Chloride From Your Water
To remove chloride from drinking water, homeowners can utilize specific water treatment methods. Reverse osmosis and distillation are common and effective technologies for reducing chloride levels in tap water. These treatment systems can help improve the water's taste and protect pipes from corrosion.
Should You Test Your Water?
You can check chloride levels in your tap water by reviewing your local water utility's consumer confidence report or searching on WaterQ. If you use a private well, periodic testing for inorganic substances like chloride is a practical way to monitor water quality. You can also look up your local water system on WaterQ or check the Chloride data page for reported levels in your area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chloride dangerous in drinking water?
Chloride is not considered an acute health hazard, but it can make water taste salty and less palatable. High concentrations can also cause the corrosion of household plumbing and pipes. The EPA standard is set to address these aesthetic and plumbing concerns.
How does Chloride get into tap water?
Chloride enters drinking water sources from natural geologic deposits, runoff from road salting, and sewage contamination.
How can I remove Chloride from my water?
Chloride can be effectively removed from your drinking water using reverse osmosis or distillation treatment systems.
Source: EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations and WaterQ National Database. For more contaminants, visit our contaminant library.
What actually removes chloride and salty taste
Chloride is a dissolved salt, and carbon does not remove dissolved salts — reverse osmosis does, and a deionizing pitcher will too until its resin exhausts. One thing to check before spending anything: a water softener raises sodium and does nothing about chloride, so if the salty taste appeared after a softener was installed, the softener is the cause rather than the cure. Road salt runoff and coastal saltwater intrusion are the other common sources.
Works
- Reverse osmosis (NSF 58)The broadest removal available at home: arsenic, nitrate, fluoride, PFAS, TDS.
- Ion-exchange pitcherDrives total dissolved solids near zero, but cartridges exhaust fast.
Will not fix this
- Basic activated carbon (NSF 42)
- Carbon certified for lead (NSF 53)
- Ion-exchange water softener
- UV disinfection (NSF 55)
- Boiling Makes it worse — evaporation concentrates what's left behind.
Options that carry the right certification
Ordered cheapest-adequate first. Prices are indicative bands and move often.
| Product | Certification | Upfront | Per year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APEC ROES-50 EssenceUnder-sink | Built with WQA-certified components to NSF/ANSI 58.Catch:Needs an under-sink drain connection and a spare hole for the dedicated faucet. Strips minerals — some people dislike the flat taste. | $180–240 | $50–80 | Check price |
| ZeroWater 5-Stage PitcherPitcher | NSF/ANSI 42 and 53 certified for lead and chromium; drives TDS toward zero.Catch:Cartridges exhaust quickly in high-TDS or hard water, which is exactly where people buy it — running cost is the highest of any pitcher. | $30–50 | $100–180 | Check price |
| AquaTru Countertop Reverse OsmosisCountertop | NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 58, 401 and P473 certified.Catch:Takes counter space and you refill a tank by hand. Wastes some water as brine, like all RO. | $400–500 | $80–130 | Check price |
Certification listings change. Before buying, confirm the current listing for the exact model in the NSF certified products database — a manufacturer's marketing page is not a certification. WaterQ earns a commission on purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you; see our affiliate disclosure. This is general information, not medical or engineering advice.
For a full breakdown of certifications, running costs and the models worth considering, see our buying guide for chloride and salty taste.