Q. Should I worry about the Safety of my drinking water?
A. Drinking water in the U.S. is among the safest and most regulated in the world. In most instances, outbreaks of waterborne disease occur in water systems with inadequate or no treatment. Still, certain segments of the population may be more vulnerable to waterborne illnesses. These segments include pregnant women, infants, the elderly and those whose immune systems are compromised by cancer, AIDS or the drugs used to treat these and other conditions.
Q. Is it safe to use chlorine to disinfect drinking water?
A. Chlorination of drinking water is an important public health intervention in the fight against microbial disease. Safe and reliable use of chlorine in the disinfection process can be achieved in treatment plants of all sizes.
Q. Why should we use chlorine as the disinfectant?
A. To date, chlorine has emerged as the disinfectant of choice primarily because of its effectiveness, efficiency, affordability, convenience and lasting effect as a disinfectant.
Q. Why should we disinfect our drinking water system?
A. The primary goal of drinking water disinfection is to kill or render harmless microbial organisms that cause disease. Chlorine has a lasting effect as a disinfectant in the water distribution system and can protect against contamination that might occur after the water leaves the treatment plant.
Q. Should I be concerned about disinfectant by-products in my water?
A. Potential harmful levels of disinfection by-products (DBPs) are extremely rare in treated drinking water. Nonetheless, since disinfection by-products were first discovered over 20 years ago, water utilities have been continuously working to lower the levels of DBPs while maintaining microbial protection.
Taken from the American Water Works Association.
