Chloramine in Vermont

If you live in an area that is using chloramine and think you may be experiencing health effects from chloramine,
please report your symptoms to PCAC and
Contact the Vermont Dept. of Health 800-640-4374
• CWD Manager Jim Fay 864-7454
• ANR Secretary G. Crombie 241-3600
• Governor Jim Douglas 828-3333
Read examples of Symptom Reports

Vermont has joined the growing number of states with public water systems that are switching from free chlorine to chloramine as a water disinfectant. In April 2006, the Champlain Water District, which serves 68,000 people in Chittenden County, began adding ammonium sulfate to the chlorine, creating chloramine. Almost immediately, some water district customers complained about skin, digestive and breathing problems after using the water.

CHLORAMINE IN VERMONT
Public Records from VT's Dept. of Environmental Conservation

Watch Videos of Vermont Citizens
Telling CDC and EPA staff about health effects since the switch to chloramine

Listen to Audio of the Vermont Senate Health and Welfare Committee's Five-Hour Hearing on Chloramine held March 13, 2008

South Burlington
Shelburne
Winooski
parts of Milton
Williston
Essex
Essex Junction
Colchester
Jericho Village

The Work Behind Clean Water
The Other Paper
June 26, 2008

Chloramine Group Achieves New Legislation
The Other Paper
June 19, 2008

We must act to protect our water resources
Herald Sun
May 11, 2008

Water spill kills McLean fish
Fairfax County Times
April 2, 2008

Vermont group charges chloramine hazards dismissed
WaterTechOnLine
February 26, 2008

Opponents Slam Report on Chloramine
Burlington Free Press
January 24, 2008

Activists, Lawmakers Criticize CDC’s Chloramine Report
Seven Days
January 23, 2008

Hunting for link between water and health, CDC tours plant
Associated Press
September 27, 2007

CDC hears chloramine complaints
Burlington Free Press
September 27, 2007

Consider alternatives to chloramine in water
Patriot News
September 27, 2007

Feds Listen to Complaints About Water
WCAX-TV
September 26, 2007

CDC officials hear complaints about chloramine
Vermont Public Radio
September 26, 2007

CDC Officials to Visit Vermont
Vermont Public Radio
September 25, 2007

CWD Report Ignores Health Problems
The Shelburne News
July 19, 2007

Concern about chloramine must be taken seriously
Burlington Free Press
April 29, 2007

Health Department will not halt chloramine use
Vermont Public Radio
April 16, 2007

Clean water advocates keep up pressure
Vermont Guardian
April 12, 2007

Senate Checks Out Health Impact of New Water Additive
Seven Days
March 28, 2007

Citizens protest use of chloramine by Champlain Water District
Vermont Public Radio
March 20, 2007

Residents Fight For Safe Drinking Water
Vermont Guardian
March 22, 2007

Complaints Surface About New Water Disinfection Method
Seven Days
August 2, 2006

Champlain Water District Switches Its Chemical Mix
Seven Days
March 29, 2006

Champlain Water District alters treatment
Burlington Free Press
March 29, 2006

Learn more at: www.chloramine.org, the web site of Citizens Concerned about Chloramine, the San Francisco area group of people experiencing similar problems with chloramine disinfection of their water.

Rash on Back of Winooski Man

ABOUT PCAC
People Concerned About Chloramine (PCAC) is a citizen organization in Vermont whose mission is to raise the public’s awareness about chloramine and its health effects when used as a water disinfectant. PCAC is committed to getting chloramine out of our water. To report symptoms, get answers to questions, contact PCAC: (802) 651-8753 vtccac@yahoo.com

Why Chloramine? EPA rules require public water systems by 2012 to have lower amounts of THMs and HAAs, chemical disinfectant byproducts that are created when chlorine combines with organic material in the water such as algae. Chloramine is the cheapest way to meet the new EPA rules.

Vermont Towns that use Chloramine

from WCAX-TV's broadcast on September 26, 2007:

"In terms of the kinds of health
effects that people are complaining
about, there really haven't been any
studies to really address that issue
in a statistically significant way," said
Lorraine Backer from the Centers for
Disease Control.

Transcript of discussion between VCE and EPA
staff at the meeting held at Vermont's Department of Health
on Sept. 26, 2007

EPA: We have the authority to implement the safe drinking water act
and we do that through our regulations. The regulations now require
that water systems control the level of disinfection byproducts

VCE: of chlorine

EPA: of chlorine and any disinfection byproducts
....
VCE: What about byproducts of chloramines?

EPA: We have not regulated those.

Rash on Back of Shelburne Teen

Chloramine = Chlorine + Ammonia