Chlorine For Drinking Water Treatment
Pure chlorine is seldom used for water treatment.
Chlorine for drinking water treatment. When used in very small quantities to disinfect water it is safe and does not lead to health risks. Chlorine dioxide is a gas. Large amounts of chlorine are produced for use as disinfectants and bleach for both domestic and industrial purposes and it is also widely used to disinfect drinking water and swimming pool water and to control bacteria and odours in the food industry 3 4. The addition of chlorine in drinking water has been the standard in water treatment in the united states since 1904.
Thus for over 100 years we have trusted and relied on chlorine to purify our water and kill off any waterborne pathogens. How is chlorine added to drinking water. The use of chlorine in carefully controlled dosages provides a significant public health improvement. And it does a marvelous job at eliminating most pathogens from the water we drink.
Chlorine is a chemical that inhibits bacterial growth in water. It s also an active ingredient in. It s used to disinfect swimming pools and drinking water and sanitize sewage and industrial waste. Chlorination is the process of adding chlorine to drinking water to disinfect it and kill germs.
There s chlorine in water. The three most common chlorine containing substances used in water treatment are chlorine gas sodium hypochlorite and calcium hypochlorite. Water treatment operators may chlorinate drinking water using either chlorine gas liquid sodium hypochlorite solution or dry calcium hypochlorite. Chlorine is used to keep our water clean by disinfecting it and killing germs.
The milwaukee water works uses a liquid form of chlorine. It is commonly used to disinfect drinking water. Chlorine is available as compressed elemental gas sodium hypochlorite solution naocl or solid calcium hypochlorite ca ocl 2 1. The choice of the chlorine type to be used often depends on cost on the available storage options and on the ph conditions required.
Each of these disinfectants unleashes the power of chlorine chemistry to destroy disease causing germs in water. But the use of this powerful chemical has a downside. Different processes can be used to achieve safe levels of chlorine in drinking water.