This reader writes to disagree with the authors of the article entitled “Coliforms in a Water Distribution System: A Remedial Approach” (JOURNAL AWWA, November 1983). The authors stated that “…chloramine disinfection was not able to control the coliform organisms in the distribution system.” The authors erred in not addressing the likelihood that cementing filters with post‐softening carbonate scale resulted in poor filtration and that their real problems began at the filters. Furthermore, excessively high pH deactivates the free chlorine residual. The authors respond to Brodtmann's charges by stating that upflow softening units can not quickly be converted to conventional clarification units without risking poorer bacterial removal.