Choosing The Right Water Disinfection

In the mid-to-late 1800s, chlorine had been used sporadically to help control infection in hospitals and drinking water. Common water treatment did not start in the U.S. until the early twentieth century when increasing cases of waterborne illnesses prompted many large cities to begin large scale filtration of water supplies.

However, filtration alone was inadequate to reduce widespread illnesses and in 1914 a standard was enacted that limited drinking water to a maximum of 2 coliforms per 100 mL, ushering in the modern age of disinfection in the U.S. Chlorination virtually eliminated waterborne epidemics, increasing life expectancy by 50%.