Does Boiling Improve Water Quality and Taste?

Abstract

This month's question considers the advantages of boiling tap water. A study done at Drexel University confirmed that a three‐minute rolling boil inactivated 10,000 Giardia cysts per mL. Results of another test done to see if the chlorine or chloramines residual, responsible for eliciting an odor, would dissipate after boiling the water. The test used 500mL of fresh tap water, clean beakers, a hot plate, and a colorimeter for chlorine residual measurement. In duplicate tests to ensure results, the water was boiled for one, three, and five minutes, cooled for about three hours, and the concentration of total chlorine was measured. Results are discussed.