SHARON Consumers Water changes chemicals in treatment method

Dialysis patients must take precautions when using tap water in their treatment.
SHARON, Pa. -- The Shenango Valley Division of Consumers Pennsylvania Water Co. has changed its treatment method for the water it supplies, replacing chlorine with chloramine in the process.
The change in chemicals was made Monday.
Chloramine lasts longer and improves the taste of the water but it can have some adverse effects in certain health cases, a company official said.
"Drinking, bathing or cooking with chloramine in drinking water is not hazardous because the body's digestive process removes chloramine before it reaches the bloodstream," said Kenneth Baumann, vice president and division manager.
"However, chloramine may be harmful when it goes directly into the bloodstream and could affect dialysis patients," he said.
Different process: Dialysis patients already treat water to remove chlorine before using it for treatment but the removal of chloramine requires a different process, Baumann said.
Chloramine can also cause a problem for fish and aquatic life so pet shops, restaurants and grocery stores with fish or lobster tanks and people with aquariums will also have to go through a new process to remove the chemical before adding water to their tanks, he said.
The water company has sent letters and brochures explaining the change to all customers, and people with specific questions can call the company chemist, Bill Young, at (724) 347-7418.
Consumers Water serves more than 80,000 residents in Mercer, Lawrence and Trumbull counties.