The Role Of Chlorine In Tap Water

The purpose of adding chlorine to tap water is to kill living organisms that are harmful to us if we ingest or inhale them.

Chlorine is regarded as one of the most important advances of modern civilisation.

The history of chlorine dates back to the late 1800s when the addition of chlorine to our water began.

By 1904 chlorine was the standard in water treatment‚ and for the most part remains so today.

Chlorine prevents would be outbreaks of waterborne disease like typhoid, dysentery and cholera, that existed in the 1800's. This disinfection process controls and eliminates the growth of microbes such as Giardia and Ecoli.

Chlorine isn't added to drinking water because it's the safest or even the most effective means of water disinfection. Chlorine is added to water because it is the cheapest method of water disinfection.

Chloramine is a disinfectant that is added to water for public health protection. Chloramine is a combination of chlorine and ammonia and is currently considered to be the best technology for controlling the formation of certain regulated organic disinfection by-products.

Although chlorinated water saves lives, there is much concern and new evidence that suggests the addition of chlorine to water may affect long-term health.

Experts agree that the addition of chlorine in tap water is vital as a disinfectant, yet experts also agree that chlorine represents a very real and serious threat to our health. Chlorine should be removed from our water before we use it for showering and drinking.

A home water filter can easily and affordably perform chlorine reduction. Water filters remove 99.9% chlorine in tap water and many more chemical contaminants out of your water just prior to drinking.