Waterborne diseases like typhoid fever and dysentery were a common part of life—and a common cause of death, too. The history of drinking water chlorination. Water chlorination is one of several, and the oldest, method of sterilizing water.
Michael E. Campana, Professor of Hydrogeology and Water Resources Management, Oregon State University From its 1908 beginnings, the history of drinking water chlorination is a compelling subject with controversy that surprises the modern reader. It is important to add sufficient chlorine to the water to meet the chlorine demand and provide residual disinfection. Chlorine readily combines with chemicals dissolved in water, microorganisms, small animals, plant material, tastes, odors, and colors. Water chlorination is the process of adding chlorine or chlorine compounds such as sodium hypochlorite to water. At the same time, water chlorination became more widespread and waterborne illnesses like cholera and typhoid became less of an issue. Drinking water chlorination and filtration have helped to virtually eliminate these diseases in the U.S. and other developed countries. A century ago, in 1908, chlorine chemistry’s germ-defeating properties were demonstrated in drinking water in two very different settings in the United States. Commercially viable methods of disinfecting water include chlorination (Cl 2), chloramination (NH 2 Cl), and ozonation (O 3).Other less cost-effective methods of disinfection are ultraviolet light and reverse osmosis filtration.
In the early 1900s, life was very different in the United States.
Today, other materials have replaced many lead water pipes. This method is used to kill certain bacteria and other microbes in tap water as chlorine is highly toxic.
The History of Chlorination. (11) Today, wastewater chlorination is widely practiced to reduce microbial contamination and potential disease risks to exposed populations. Chlorination is a widely used and highly cost-effective technique for disinfection of drinking water, and has conferred important public health benefits. First, chlorination transformed animal feed water, drawn from a highly polluted stream in Chicago’s Union Stockyards, into a product that exceeded the purity of city water. Links History of drinking water treatment History of water disinfection Book on water history Sources Baker M.N., Taras M.J., 1981, The quest for pure water – The history of the twentieth century, volume I and II, Denver: AWWA History of Chlorine as a Swimming Pool Sanitizer. The history of drinking water chlorination. In particular, chlorination is used to prevent the spread of waterborne diseases It wasn’t long though before chlorination started to reveal negative side effects. Water chlorination is the process of adding chlorine (Cl2) or hypochlorite to water. Shock chlorination is recommended whenever a well is new, repaired, or found to be contaminated.
A large amount of research and many studies have been conducted to ensure success in new treatment plants using chlorine as a disinfectant. Water supply system - Water supply system - Chlorination: The addition of chlorine or chlorine compounds to drinking water is called chlorination. Water disinfection processes sel- In the early 20th century the health problems associated with water pollution seemed to have been resolved in the industrialized countries when chlorination and other water treatment techniques were developed and widely taken into use.