Chloramine is an effective disinfectant and persists over a long period of time, particularly in areas with high temperatures. This makes chloramine useful in Texas’ large distribution systems, such as those of cities with numerous connections and in rural water systems with fewer connections spread out over a large geographic area.
Chloramine typically produces lower levels of regulated disinfection by-products (such as total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) or haloacetic acids (HAA5)) compared to free chlorine, because it is less reactive with naturally occurring organic matter that may be in the water.