Should any special precautions be taken by kidney dialysis patients?

The water you receive from Washington Water is safe for drinking, bathing, and most other purposes. However, if your supply is disinfected with chlorine or chloramine, these substances must be removed from the water before use in dialysis.

What can you do to make sure your water is safe for use in dialysis treatment? Follow these steps.

  1. See if your water contains chlorine or chloramine. You can find this information in the water quality report for your water system, but you may want to have your water independently tested. You must take steps to remove the chlorine or chloramine from your water before using it in the dialysis process, because these substances are harmful if they enter directly into the bloodstream.
  2. If your water contains chlorine: Chlorine may be eliminated from water by using a filtration system. To determine whether your system is already able to remove chlorine or to obtain assistance with upgrading your system, contact your physician, dialysis equipment service company, or the Department of Health Services Licensing & Certification Unit.
  3. If your water contains chloramine: Your dialysis system needs to be able to handle up to 5 mg/liter of chloramine (higher than the maximum concentration allowed by law). Chloramine may be eliminated from water by using a granular-activated carbon-filtration system specifically designed to remove chloramine. To determine whether your system is already able to remove chloramine or to obtain assistance with upgrading your system, contact your physician, dialysis equipment service company, or the Department of Health Services Licensing & Certification Unit.

If you have questions or need additional information on how to prepare your water for use in dialysis treatment, please contact your local dialysis facility or physician.