Chlorination Chlorination of public water supplies is the most important process used to produce safe, sanitary drinking water. The process is necessary and highly efficient. The World Health Organization estimates that 25,000 children worldwide die every day from waterborne diseases resulting from a lack of water disinfection. Effective in 1999, the treatment plants no longer use concentrated chlorine gas and liquid. Three 5,000-gallon tanks hold the solution until it is piped to the point of application.
Chlorination is important to improving several treatment processes.
Hypochlorite is sometimes added into the raw water before any other treatment. This pre-chlorination oxidizes indesirable materials such as iron and manganese. Hypochlorite is also used to improve coagulation. In addition, it reduces the amount of taste, odor and color-producing materials in the water through oxidation and retardation of decomposition in the settling basins. When added prior to the filtration process, hypochlorite minimizes biological growth on the filters and lengthens filter runs.