The short answer
No. Charlotte Water disinfects with free chlorine, according to its 2025 water quality report. Some other systems in the region, including Union County Water, Monroe, Lancaster County Water & Sewer District, Chester Metropolitan District, Greenville Water and Columbia, report chloramine. Either way, the practical difference is which filter certification to look for.
Charlotte Water: free chlorine
Charlotte Water's 2025 Consumer Confidence Report says it adds chlorine to prevent bacterial growth, and its disinfectant table lists chlorine with a highest running annual average of 1.04 ppm (range 0.47–1.60 ppm), under the 4.0 ppm maximum residual disinfectant level. Chloramine isn't mentioned anywhere in the report.[source]
That chlorine is there on purpose. It keeps water safe on the trip through thousands of miles of pipe to your tap. The only thing most people notice is a mild taste or smell, which is a preference issue that a carbon filter handles well. Our chlorine taste and odor guide covers the options.
What chloramine is, and why some utilities use it
Chloramine is chlorine combined with a small amount of ammonia. EPA notes that many public water systems use chlorine as their main disinfectant, but some switched their secondary disinfectant (the one that stays in the pipes) to chloramines to meet disinfection byproduct requirements.[source] Both are approved disinfectants with federal limits, and both appear in utility reports with their measured levels.
So chloramine isn't a warning sign. It's a treatment choice a utility makes for its own water chemistry and pipe system. We mention it only because it changes which filter claims you should look for.
Which systems around Charlotte report chloramine
We read each utility's 2025 report and recorded the disinfectant the way the report states it. Here's the regional picture:
| Utility | Disinfectant reported | What the report says |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte Water | Free chlorine | Chlorine residual 1.04 ppm (highest annual average)[source] |
| Union County Water | Both listed | Chloramines 2.22 ppm and chlorine 0.48 ppm (annual averages). The report doesn't say which areas get which.[source] |
| City of Monroe | Chloramine | "Chlorine and ammonia are added"; chloramines 3.04 ppm[source] |
| Lancaster County Water & Sewer District (SC) | Chloramine | "Chloramines are added to disinfect the water"[source] |
| Chester Metropolitan District (SC) | Chloramine | Chloramines 1.35 ppm (annual average)[source] |
| Greenville Water (SC) | Chloramine | Chlorine combined with ammonia; 2.3 ppm average[source] |
| City of Columbia (SC) | Chloramine, plus chlorine dioxide | Chloramines 2.7 ppm (highest quarterly average)[source] |
| City of Rock Hill (SC) | Chlorine plus chlorine dioxide | No chloramine listed[source] |
| Concord, Kannapolis, Gastonia (Two Rivers), Mooresville, Lincolnton, Salisbury-Rowan | Free chlorine | Chlorine residuals listed; chloramine not mentioned[source][source][source][source][source][source] |
Utilities do change treatment over time, so check your own system's latest report. Our water lookup tool and Charlotte-area water report link each one. If you live in Union County, the Union County water treatment page has more on that system.
Why it matters: picking the right carbon filter
Here's the one practical difference. Certification standards treat chlorine and chloramine as separate claims. NSF/ANSI 42, the standard for taste and odor, lists chlorine and chloramine as distinct reduction claims, and the claims a product holds vary by product.[source] A filter certified for chlorine isn't automatically certified for chloramine.
- On a free-chlorine system like Charlotte Water: look for an NSF/ANSI 42 chlorine (taste and odor) claim on a whole-home carbon system or a drinking-water filter.
- On a chloramine system: look specifically for a chloramine reduction claim in the product's certification listing. Don't assume a chlorine claim covers it.
- Shower filters: NSF says filters certified to NSF/ANSI 177 are certified only to reduce free available chlorine,[source] so that certification doesn't speak to chloramine.
- Either way: check the exact model in the NSF certified-product listings before buying.[source] Our guide to NSF/ANSI standards shows how.
How to check your own water in two minutes
- Step 1
Find your utility
It's on your water bill. If you're not sure, our water lookup tool can help.
- Step 2
Open its latest report
Look for a "Disinfectant Residuals" or "Regulated Contaminants" table. It will say chlorine, chloramines, or both.
- Step 3
Match the filter claim
Chlorine on the report means look for a chlorine claim; chloramines means look for a chloramine claim. If it lists both, look for both.