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The Complexities of Disinfection in the Twenty‐first Century
Author(s) -
Spence Shan,
Morley Kevin M.,
Sloan Jeffery T.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal ‐ american water works association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.466
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1551-8833
pISSN - 0003-150X
DOI - 10.5942/jawwa.2012.104.0116
Subject(s) - agency (philosophy) , chlorine , tap water , groundwater , water treatment , safe drinking water act , public health , water disinfection , disease control , environmental planning , water source , environmental science , environmental health , environmental protection , political science , environmental engineering , business , water resource management , engineering , water quality , sociology , medicine , chemistry , nursing , ecology , social science , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , biology
In the early 1900s water utilities embraced a new treatment process ‐ chlorination ‐ that was later hailed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as one of the greatest public health advances of the twentieth century. Today, an estimated 98% of U.S. water systems use some form of chlorine to help provide safe drinking water. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires most tap water (except extremely clean groundwater) to have a detectable level of chlorine.