Drinking water disinfection regulation

Chlorine has played an important role in water treatment for many decennia. Worldwide, chlorine is the most frequently used disinfectant. Chlorine has many advantages. It is relatively cheap and its production process is relatively simple. Chlorine can affectively kill pathogenic microorganisms, without adding a specific taste to the water. Chlorine contributes to the reliability of drinking water produced from surface water. When drinking water disinfection is not carried out collectively, chlorine tablets may be used.
When disinfection byproduct formation was discovered, chlorine was replaced by alternative methods in many cases.

WHO guidelines

Drinking water safety is protected by the guidelines of the international World Health Organisation (WHO). Guidelines are directives for water quality. Guidelines contain standards for risk analysis, water system design, pollution prevention and control, and water treatment. They also contain standards for maximum concentrations of pollutants and disinfectants that may be present in water. (WHO Guidelines for Frinking Water Quality, Derde Editie, 2003)

Distribution of drinking water in developing countries

Developing countries often use chlorine for water disinfection. In a large number of developing countries, drinking water is not thouroughly disinfected. This causes waterborne diseases to be a mayor problem in developing countries. As a result, the ‘International Drinking Water Facilities and Sanitation Decennium’ was formed. The aim of this directive was to give 90% of the world population acces to save drinking water by 1990. (WHO, 1985) Unfortunately, we did not succeed at this.

In the year 2000, the United Nations have formulated eight Millenium aims. These aims need to be complied with by 2015. The aims mainly describe the improval of livability for people in developing countries. One of the aims states that the number of people that do not have acces to clean drinking water needs to be split in half.
In the twentieth century, drinking water use has increase ten times. Each year, eighty million more people need safe drinking water. Some countries own large stocks of clean water that can suffice the growing demand for safe drinking water. However, these countries use most clean water that is available to them, causing the demand to grow even further. This will cause mayor problems in the future. To prevent these problems, drinking water should be used more efficiently and water purification should be applied more widely.

More information on water disinfection?:

Introduction water disinfection  Necessity water treatment  History of drinking water treatment

What is water disinfection?  Necessity of drinking water disinfection  History of water disinfection  Waterborne diseases  Factors that influence disinfection  Conditions of water disinfection  Regulation drinking water disinfection EU USA

Swimming pool treatment  Swimming pool pollutions  Swimming pool disinfection  Swimming pool disinfection & health

Cooling tower water  Cooling tower water pollutions  Cooling tower water disinfection  Cooling tower water legislation

Chemical disinfectants  Chlorine  Sodium hypochlorite  Chloramines  Chlorine dioxide  Copper silver ionization  Hydrogen peroxide  Bromine  Peroxone  Peracetic acid

Disinfection byproducts  Types of disinfection byproducts  Research on health effects of disinfection byproducts

Chlorinator system