How to Get Rid of the Chlorine Smell in Your Tap Water

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A pool-like smell from the tap is one of the most common water complaints in Bryan and College Station. It can be strong enough to notice in a glass of water, and stronger still in a hot shower. Here is where it comes from and how to get rid of it.

Why your water smells like chlorine

Bryan and College Station both disinfect their water with chlorine. Chlorine kills bacteria and keeps the water safe as it travels through miles of pipe to your home. A small amount stays in the water on purpose, so it keeps protecting the water all the way to your faucet.

Chlorine residuals in the latest reports ranged from about 1.0 to 2.2 ppm in College Station and 2.0 to 2.25 ppm in Bryan. Those levels are safe to drink. But many people can smell and taste chlorine at levels well below the limit, so noticing it does not mean anything is wrong. Chlorine also forms small amounts of disinfection byproducts. Both cities test below the legal limits for these, but they are detectable, which is one more reason some families filter it out. See what the latest city reports show.

Why it is worse in the shower

Hot water releases chlorine into the air as steam, so a hot shower in a closed bathroom concentrates the smell. Many people also notice dry skin or hair after showering in chlorinated water. A drinking water filter at the kitchen sink does nothing for this. Only a filter that treats the water feeding the shower helps.

Quick fixes you can try today

• Let it sit. Fill a pitcher and leave it uncovered in the fridge for a few hours. Chlorine gradually escapes into the air. This tip works in Bryan and College Station because both cities use free chlorine. In cities that use chloramine, it mostly does not.
• Use a carbon pitcher or fridge filter. These use carbon, which removes chlorine taste and smell from drinking water. They do not help with the salty taste or with shower water.
• Chill it. Cold water tastes and smells less of chlorine than room-temperature water.
• Try a shower filter. A filter that screws onto the showerhead can reduce chlorine in the shower, though small filters have limited capacity with hot water.

The permanent fix: whole-home carbon

A whole-home carbon filter installs on the main water line, so every faucet, shower and appliance gets water without the chlorine smell. The system Brazos Valley Water Pros installs for city homes is a 10" x 54" tank of coconut-shell carbon with a control valve that backwashes on a schedule, so the filter rinses itself clean. There is no salt and no second tank.

One thing carbon does not fix is the salty, flat taste. That comes from sodium and dissolved solids, and the fix is reverse osmosis at the kitchen sink. Compare reverse osmosis and carbon filtration.

Common questions

More Bryan & College Station water guides

• Why does my tap water taste salty?
• Reverse osmosis vs. whole-home carbon filter
• Is College Station tap water safe to drink?
• Do you need a water softener in College Station?
• Well water testing in the Brazos Valley

Chlorine and byproduct figures are from the City of Bryan 2025 and City of College Station 2024 drinking water quality reports. Chlorine levels vary across each city's system and over time. Treatment results are general guidance, not a certified performance claim.