DISINFECTION

Key Words and Concepts

Air Gap – An open vertical drop, or vertical empty space, that separates a drinking (potable) water
supply to be protected from another water system in a water treatment plant or other location. This
open gap prevents the contamination of drinking water by backsiphonage or backflow.

Amperometric Titration – A means of measuring concentrations of certain substances in water (such as

strong oxidizers) based on the electric current that flows during a chemical reaction.

Bacteria – Bacteria are living organisms, microscopic in size, which usually consist of a single cell. Most
bacteria use organic matter for their food and produce waste products as a result of their life processes.

Breakpoint Chlorination – Addition of chlorine to water until the chlorine demand has been satisfied.
At this point, further additions of chlorine will result in a free chlorine residual that is directly
proportional to the amount of chlorine added beyond the breakpoint.

Chloramines – Compounds formed by the reaction of hypochlorous acid (or aqueous chlorine) with
ammonia.

Chlorine Demand – Chlorine demand is the difference between the amount of chlorine added to water
and the amount of residual chlorine remaining after a given contact time. Chlorine demand may change
with dosage, time, temperature, pH, and nature and amount of the impurities in the water.

Chlorine Residual – The concentration of chlorine present in water after the chlorine demand has been
satisfied. The concentration is expressed in terms of the total chlorine residual, which includes both the
free and combined or chemically bound chlorine residuals.

Chlororganic – Organic compounds combined with chlorine. These compounds generally originate
from, or are associated with, life processes such as those of algae in water.

Coliform – A group of bacteria found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals (including humans) and
also in plants, soil, air and water. Fecal coliforms are a specific class of bacteria which only inhabit the
intestines of warm-blooded animals. The presence of coliform bacteria is an indication that the water is
polluted and may contain pathogenic (disease-causing) organisms.

Combined Chlorine – The sum of the chlorine species composed of free chlorine and ammonia,
including monochloramine, dichloramine, and trichloramine (nitrogen trichloride). Dichloramine is the
strongest disinfectant of these chlorine species, but it has less oxidative capacity than free chlorine.

Disinfection – The process designed to kill or inactivate most microorganisms in water, including
essentially all pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria. There are several ways to disinfect, with
chlorination being the most frequently used in water treatment.

Ejector – A device used to disperse a chemical solution into water being treated.

Free Available Residual Chlorine – That portion of the total available residual chlorine composed of
dissolved chlorine gas (CI2), hypochlorous acid (HOCI), and/or hypochlorite ion (OCI-) remaining in water
after chlorination. This does not include chlorine that has combined with ammonia, nitrogen, or other
compounds.
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HTH – High Test Hypochlorite. Calcium hypochlorite or Ca(OCI)2.

Heterotrophic – Describes organisms that use organic matter for energy and growth. Animals, fungi,
and most bacteria are heterotrophic.

Hypochlorite – Chemical compounds containing available chlorine, used for disinfection. They are
available as liquids (bleach) or solids (powder granules, and pellets) in barrels, drums and cans.

IDLH – Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health. The atmospheric concentration of any toxic, corrosive,
or asphyxiant substance that poses an immediate threat to life or would cause irreversible or delayed
adverse health effects or would interfere with an individual’s ability to escape from a dangerous
atmosphere.

MPN – MPN is the Most Probable Number of coliform group organisms per unit volume of sample
water. Expressed as a density or population of organisms per 100 mL of sample water.

Nitrification – An aerobic process in which bacteria reduce the ammonia and organic nitrogen in water
into nitrite and then nitrate.

Oxidation – Oxidation is the addition of oxygen, removal of hydrogen, or the removal of electrons from
an element or compound. In the environment, organic matter is oxidized to more stable substances.
This is the opposite of Reduction.

Pathogenic Organisms – Organisms, including bacteria, viruses or cysts, capable of causing diseases
(giardiasis, cryptosporidiosis, typhoid, cholera, dysentery) in a host (such as a person). There are many
types of organisms which do NOT cause disease. These organisms are called non-pathogenic.

Intestinal Parasites:
• Entamoeba histolytica (amoebic dysentery)
• Giardia lamblia (giardiasis)
• Ascaris lumbricoides (giant roundworm)
• Cryptosporidium (cryptosporidiosis)

Bacteria:
• Salmonella (salmonellosis)
• Shigella (bacillary dysentery)
• Bacillus typhosus (typhoid fever)
• Salmonella paratyphi (paratyphoid)
• Vibrio cholera (cholera)

Viruses:
• Enterovirus
• Poliovirus
• Coxsackie Virus
• Echo Virus
• Adenovirus
• Reovirus
• Infectious Hepatitis

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Reduction – Reduction is the addition of hydrogen, removal of oxygen, or the addition of electrons to an
element or compound. Under anaerobic conditions (no dissolved oxygen present), sulfur compounds
are reduced to odor-producing hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and other compounds. The opposite of Oxidation.

Self-contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) – A device worn by rescue workers, firefighters, and others
to provide breathable air in an "Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health" atmosphere.

Disinfection Methods

There are three general methods used for disinfection

1. Heat
2. Ultraviolet radiation
3. Chemical
Heat treatment
Heat treatment as a form of disinfection requires increasing the water temperature to the point of
boiling for 5 minutes to inactivate the waterborne organisms. Increased boiling time is required at
higher elevations.

Ultraviolet Radiation
Ultraviolet radiation in sufficient dosage is an effective method of microorganism inactivation, including
Cryptosporidium and Giardia. One benefit of using UV disinfection is that there are no DBPs created by
the process, including THMs.

The manner in which UV radiation inactivates organisms involves a photochemical change in the genetic
material of the cell as it absorbs the radiation. This reaction takes place almost instantaneously. The
DNA or RNA of the cell is altered so it cannot reproduce or cause infection.

Since UV radiation is targeting nucleic acids, the wavelength range used should be that which is
optimum for nucleic acid absorbance. This wavelength range is: 250 – 265 nm. Since UV radiation does
not leave a disinfectant residual in the water, chlorination or chloramination of the water is still
required.

The effectiveness of UV disinfection depends on the water’s physical and chemical characteristics.
Excessive turbidity, natural organic matter (NOM) and inorganic contaminants will all impact its
performance. Hardness and NOM can foul the lamps which will reduce the effective dose.

Additionally, organic and inorganic contaminants can absorb the radiation at certain wavelengths which
will make the system ineffective at those wavelengths. UV disinfection works best on low turbidity
water that has a low absorbance of light in the wavelength range of 250 – 265 nanometers

Chemical Treatment
The decision of which chemical to use for a disinfectant must take into consideration the secondary
benefits each oxidant has to offer. In addition to destroying or inactivating pathogens, oxidants also
provide many benefits to the treatment process

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Secondary Benefits:

• Control biological growth

• Control poor tastes and odors
• Removes color
• Reduction of some organic compounds
• Aids coagulation and flocculation
• Oxidizes iron and manganese to allow removal

Chemicals in common use include:

• Ozone
• Potassium permanganate
• Chlorine dioxide
• Chlorine and Chlorine compounds

Ozone
Ozone is a very strong oxidizer that poses a health risk at very low concentrations in air. It is not stable
and therefore cannot be stored. It must be generated on site by a process that passes high voltage
through air as it goes between the electrodes. Although it is an effective disinfectant and virucide,
chlorine must still be added for a disinfectant residual.

Potassium Permanganate
Potassium permanganate is used frequently at the front end of surface water plants because it controls
bad tastes and odors while aiding the coagulation and flocculation processes. It is also effective at
removing hydrogen sulfide, iron and manganese and it does not react with NOM to form THMs like
chlorine does.

Chlorine Dioxide (ClO2)

Chlorine dioxide is another disinfectant that is generated on site. It is used as a pre-oxidant to reduce
THM formation in systems that have source water high in humic and fulvic substances. Chlorate (ClO3)
and chlorite are by-products of forming ClO2 which have been shown to have adverse health effects in
sufficient concentrations.

Chlorine dioxide is able to oxidize iron and manganese. It will also remove color from the water in
addition to many organic and sulfur compounds that can cause bad tastes and odors. It does add a taste
to the water which becomes objectionable to most people at a dose of 0.5 mg/L or higher

Chlorine and Chlorine Compounds

Chlorine used for the disinfection of drinking water comes in three forms:

• Gas – Chlorine, Cl2

• Liquid – Sodium hypochlorite, NaOCl
• Solid – Calcium hypochlorite, Ca(OCl)2

Each of these forms of chlorine have a different percentage of available chlorine for disinfection.

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 Chlorine Compound Percent Chlorine Amount to Yield 1 lb Chlorine
Chlorine gas or liquid (Cl2) 100 1 lb
Sodium Hypochlorite (NaOCl) 15 0.8 gal
12.5 1.0 gal
5 2.4 gal
1 12.0 gal
Calcium Hypochlorite (Ca(OCL)2) 65 1.54 lb

The chemical reaction of Chlorine in pure water is as follows:

Cl2 + H2O → HOCl + HCl

Hypochlorous acid and Hydrochloric acid are weak compounds and will dissociate in water as follows:
HOCl → H+ + OCl-
HCl → H+ + Cl-

Hypochlorous acid is the most effective disinfectant available from the different chlorine compounds

Chlorine Type Chemical Formula Effectiveness vs. HOCl

Hypochlorous acid HOCl 1
Hypochlorite ion OCl- 1/100
Dichloramine NHCl2 1/80
Monochloramine NH2Cl 1/150

The chemical reactions above were for chlorine added to pure water (H2O). In reality, water being
treated at a surface water treatment plant will have many impurities in it that will have an effect on the
reaction of chlorine in the water. Some of the impurities include reducing agents - nitrites, iron,
manganese, and sulfide. As chlorine is added to the surface water, it will react with these reducing
compounds and not increase the chlorine concentration until all of the reducing agents in the water
have been destroyed by the chlorine.

Five Factors Affecting Disinfection

• Chlorine concentration
• Contact time
• Water temperature
• pH of water
• Foreign substance in water

The two primary factors that impact the disinfection process are concentration and contact time. This is
referred to as C x T or CT for short. Since the inactivation of microorganisms is directly related to C x T, a
reduction in concentration requires more time for the same organism “kill.”

Likewise, a reduction in contact time requires a higher dose. The form of chlorine residual will also have
an impact on the rate of organism inactivation. A combined residual is not as effective as a free chlorine
residual and will therefore take longer to inactivate the microorganisms than an equivalent
concentration of free chlorine.

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The following chart shows this difference by looking at the time required to destroy 99% of E. coli

Temperature also effects the rate at which inactivation occurs. The reaction happens more quickly as
water temperature goes up and more slowly as temperature drops. One positive about colder water
temperatures is that the chlorine residual is more stable. The flip side to this is that as water
temperature increases, the residual will dissipate more quickly, which will require more chlorine

The pH of the water determines the ratio of HOCl to OCl- and therefore affects the disinfection process.
The lower the pH, the higher the concentration of HOCl which is 100 times more effective than OCl- at
killing microorganisms. As pH increases, the equilibrium shifts favoring the formation of OCl- rather than
HOCl. The following graph shows the effect pH has on disinfection.

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It is worth noting that the addition of chlorine gas will cause the pH of the water to go down and further
favor HOCl formation while the addition of sodium hypochlorite raises the pH of the water and shifts the
equilibrium to favor OCl-. For this reason, chlorine gas is a more effective disinfectant than sodium
hypochlorite on a pound for pound basis

Chlorine is only effective if it comes in contact with the microorganisms it is intended to kill. Any
particulate matter in the water can shield microorganisms from the chlorine. For this reason, the
disinfection process follows the coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, and filtration processes in
conventional surface water treatment

Chloramination
Some water systems operate with a combined chlorine residual in their distribution systems to reduce
taste and odor complaints while others use chloramines to reduce the formation of THMs.
Monochloramine is not as reactive as free chlorine so it will not combine with phenol to produce
chlorophenol which creates bad taste and odor. Likewise, it will not react with NOM as readily as free
chlorine to form THMs

The downside is that it is not as effective as free chlorine at killing microorganisms. Most systems using
chloramines will have a chlorine contact basin where free chlorine is used to meet the C x T
requirements of the SWTR and then add ammonia as it leaves the plant to form monochloramine.

Application Points
There are typically two points of application for disinfectants at a conventional surface water treatment
plant:
• Raw Water Inlet
• Post Filtration

Some plants find it necessary to add a small amount of chlorine just prior to the filters to oxidize any
iron or manganese in the water so it will precipitate and be filtered out. Adding chlorine or an
alternative oxidant at the front of the plant serves several beneficial purposes:
• Begins disinfection process
• Reduces taste and odor problems
• Reduces biological growth
• Oxidizes hydrogen sulfide, iron, and manganese
• Oxidizes organic substances
• Enhances the coagulation and flocculation processes

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 Disinfectant Advantages Disadvantages
Effective as a disinfectant Dangerous
Chlorine Relatively inexpensive Hard to maintain residual
Readily available Formation of DBPs
Reacts with sulfur to reduce tastes and odors Bad T&O from chloroorganics
Effective as a disinfectant Requires additional chemical
Chloramine Relatively inexpensive Requires special training
Readily available Potential for nitrification
Reduces formation of DBPs Health risk for dialysis patients
Better virucide than chlorine Expensive to run and maintain
Ozone Removes color, odor, and poor taste Dangerous
Increases dissolved oxygen No disinfectant residual
Oxidizes iron, manganese, and sulfide Unpredictable
Little effect on pH
UV No DBP formation High energy cost
No dangerous chemicals to store No disinfectant residual
Effective on cryptosporidium

Gas Chlorination Facilities

Overview
99.5% pure chlorine can be delivered to the treatment facility in 150 lb cylinders, 1 ton cylinders, or
even by rail car. Chlorine gas is compressed while filling the cylinder which turns it into a liquid inside
the cylinder. It will vaporize at room temperature and therefore the cylinder is a mixture of gas and
liquid when delivered.

Facts about chlorine gas:

• 2.5 times more dense than air
• Deadly at 0.1% in air
• Expand 460 times its liquid volume when vaporized
• Extremely corrosive
• Supports combustion but does not burn
• Reacts violently with grease, turpentine, ammonia, hydrocarbons, and metal filings
• The pressure in the tank is related to the temperature of the liquid

Handling Chlorine Gas

Because of the dangerous nature of chlorine gas, special handling procedures and facilities are required
to ensure operator safety and the safety of the surrounding community

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150 lb Cylinders
The total full weight of a 150 lb cylinder is about 285 pounds due to the weight of the steel cylinder
added to the 150 pounds of chlorine inside. Care must be taken when handling to ensure the valve is
not damaged which could result in an uncontrolled release of chlorine gas.

When not in use, the protective hood should be in place to protect the valve. Special hand trucks with
safety chains are available for use while transporting chlorine cylinders from one location to another

The cylinders should not be stored in direct sunlight if stored outside. If stored inside, the building
should be well ventilated, fire resistant, and have multiple exits equipped with doors that open outward
for easy escape in the event of a leak

Ton Cylinders
The ton cylinders are designed to lay on their sides during transportation, handling and use. They have
two valves on the end which allows for the feeding of either gas or liquid chlorine. The valve situated at
the top will draw off gas while the valve positioned at the bottom will feed liquid chlorine.

The valves on the ton cylinders are protected by a bowl shaped cover that attaches to the end of the
container. These covers should be secured and in place during transportation and handling of the
cylinders. It should only be removed to connect the cylinder to the feed system.

The cylinders hold 2,000 pounds of chlorine but weigh up to 3,700 pounds when full. Because of their
weight, they must be handled using a hoist which is part of the specially built storage building. The
cylinders are stored on trunnions to prevent rolling around while allowing them to be rotated for proper
valve positioning during connection.

Feeding Chlorine Gas

The chlorine feed system consists of all equipment from the point of connection of the cylinder to the
point of mixing the chlorine with the water being treated. This includes:
• Scale
• Valves and piping
• Chlorinator
• Injector or diffuser

Hypochlorinator Facilities

Overview
Hypochlorination is a safer method of feeding chlorine for disinfection than is that of feeding chlorine
gas. Many treatment plants are opting for this safer method of disinfection even though chemical costs
may be higher. The most commonly used chlorine compound is sodium hypochlorite followed by
calcium hypochlorite.

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Hypochlorite Compounds

Calcium hypochlorite
Calcium hypochlorite-Ca(OCl)2 used for treatment plant disinfection comes as a white or yellow-white
granular material. It contains 65% chlorine by weight which means that the operator must feed 1.5
pounds of calcium hypochlorite to net 1 pound of chlorine added.

Calcium hypochlorite must be stored away from organic material (grease and oils) because the reaction
between them will generate enough heat to start a fire.

The typical use for calcium hypochlorite is the disinfection of newly installed tanks and water main
piping, not for large scale surface water treatment plant disinfection

Sodium hypochlorite
Sodium hypochlorite-NaOCl on the other hand is used for large scale disinfection operations. It comes
as a yellow liquid in concentrations ranging from 5-15% available chlorine. At 12.5% strength, one
gallon of sodium hypochlorite contains 1 pound of chlorine.

When stored at the higher concentrations of 12-15%, it will degrade and cause a drop in its available
chlorine at a rate of 2-4% per month. It is recommended that it not be stored more than 2-3 weeks at
this concentration. The rate of sodium hypochlorite degradation increases with strength, heat, and
sunlight exposure.

Sodium hypochlorite is normally delivered to treatment plants by tanker truck at a concentration of 12%
available chlorine. Standard operating procedure is to dilute it down to 6% for storage purposes
because it is more stable at this lower concentration

Common Equipment

Feeding calcium hypochlorite

Mix Tank
Calcium hypochlorite must be mixed into a liquid solution before feeding it to the disinfection process

Day Tank
The solution from the mix tank is decanted and sent to the day tank for feeding

Feed Pump (hypochlorinator)

Positive displacement diaphragm pump for metering

Feeding sodium hypochlorite

Since sodium hypochlorite is already a liquid, the mix tank is not required as in the case of calcium
hypochlorite. It is typically feed straight (neat) from the storage tank at 6% using a simple positive
displacement metering pump. A peristaltic pump serves this function in most applications.

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Alternative Oxidants
Ozone
Ozone is not stable which means it must be used shortly after it is generated. Onsite generation is
therefore required which is accomplished by passing an electrical current through air or pure oxygen.
Ozonation equipment includes:
• Air compressor and drying unit or oxygen source
• Ozone generator
• Contactor
• Residual ozone destruction unit

The air or oxygen fed to the ozone generator must be of high purity and free from moisture. Systems
using air as the feed gas produce about a 2% ozone concentration while pure oxygen systems generate a
5-7% ozone concentration.

Ozone has a very short life (measured in seconds) and is not very soluble in water. Special equipment is
required to achieve the most effective and efficient transfer of the ozone to the water. The use of fine
bubble diffusion is the most commonly used method of ensuring maximum contact is made between
the water being treated and the ozone.

The ozone that bubbles through the water and off-gases must be destroyed because it is toxic. The
ozone contactor must have a method in place to capture and destroy this off-gassed ozone. This is
typically accomplished by a thermal or catalytic ozone destructor. Some installations recover this
residual ozone and send it back to the air compressor suction for reuse

Potassium Permanganate
Potassium permanganate is not used for disinfecting purposes but rather as an initial oxidant that
reduces the amount of chlorine required for disinfection. It also reduces the formation of THMs as it
oxidizes some of the organic material present in the raw water before the addition of chlorine as the
primary disinfectant.

Permanganate comes in crystal form and is shipped in pails, drums, large bins or by the truckload. The
crystals are dissolved into a solution that is feed in a manner similar to that of calcium hypochlorite.
Care must be taken to ensure the crystal completely dissolve in the water to prevent clogging the feed
pumps.

Operation of the Chlorination Process

Gas Cylinders
150 pound cylinders should be stored and placed into service in the upright position. These cylinders
can deliver chlorine at a rate of up to 42 lb/day without any problem. A rate higher than this will cause
frosting on the cylinder and may even form a freeze plug at the valve due to the sudden expansion of
the gas as it leaves the cylinder. If frosting is an issue due to the required withdrawal rate, an additional
cylinder or cylinders should be connected in parallel through a manifold to reduce the removal rate of
any one cylinder to less than 42 lb/day.
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Ton Cylinders
Unlike 150 pound cylinders that are required to be in the upright position, ton cylinders are transported,
handled, and connected to the chlorination system in the horizontal position. The two valves on the end
of the ton cylinder should be aligned vertically so that one is at the 12 o’clock position and the other is
at the 6 o’clock position.

When feeding chlorine gas, each ton cylinder can deliver about 400 lb/day without trouble. Above that
rate of feed, frosting and freezing can occur. When feeding chlorine as a liquid, the withdrawal rate is
much higher at 9,600 lb/day when using an evaporator.

Weighing Procedures
The only accurate method of determining the amount of chlorine that is in a chlorine cylinder is to
weight the cylinder and deduct the empty weight of the cylinder from the total weight. By monitoring
the rate of weight change, operators can determine the feed rate in lb/day of chlorine being fed to the
treatment plant.

Connecting Gas Cylinders

1. Always wear respiratory protection when changing chlorine cylinders
2. Never lift a cylinder by its protective hood – it is not designed to support the weight of the
cylinder
3. Secure the cylinder with a chain or steel strap in the upright position
4. Remove the protective hood
5. Remove the brass outlet cap and any foreign material that is in and around the outlet recess
6. Place a new washer in the outlet recess
7. Place the yoke over the valve and insert the adapter into the recess – fitting the adapter in
the yoke slot, tighten the yoke screw
8. Install the flexible connector, sloping it toward the cylinder

The procedure is basically the same for connecting ton cylinders. Keep in mind that both the cylinder
valve and the auxiliary valve should be closed during this operation.

Opening the Valve

1. Using the 6-inch wrench provided and while standing behind the valve outlet, apply counter
torque with one hand and use the palm of the other hand to give the wrench a sharp blow
in the counterclockwise direction
2. Open the valve and close it immediately to pressurize the line
3. All new joints and connections should be tested for leaks using an ammonia solution (a
sponge saturated with commercially available ammonium hydroxide in a squirt bottle works
well)
4. If no leaks are detected, open the cylinder valve one turn
5. Leave the wrench on the vale for ease of closing in an emergency (this also indicates to
other operators that this cylinder is in service)
6. Open the auxiliary valve if the injector and chlorinator are in operation

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Disconnecting Chlorine Gas Cylinders
1. Close the cylinder valve and wait about 2 minutes before closing the auxiliary valve to allow
all remaining chlorine to be evacuated from the line
2. Disconnect the flexible tubing from the cylinder and replace the brass outlet cap
immediately
3. Install the protective hood
4. The outlet cap will form a seal if tightened snuggly to stop any chlorine leakage due to a
valve not seating entirely
5. Support the flexible “pig tail” while it is disconnected and seal the end if it will remain
disconnected for any length of time beyond immediate change-out of a cylinder to keep
moisture out of the tubing

Operational Problems

Operational Problem Solution

Chlorine Leaks Identify leak location using ammonia solution
– At joints in feed system and correct by tightening or replacing gasket as
– At cylinder connection required
Stiff container valve Cycle the valve several times to see if it will
loosen – if it doesn’t, send back to supplier
Hypochlorinator problems Install a water softener to remove hardness and
- Clogged equipment use a two tank system for Ca(OCl)2 systems – use
- Broken diaphragms HCl to dissolve calcium deposits– Inspect and
replace the pump diaphragms as required
Tastes and odors Breakpoint chlorinate if not using chloramines for
distribution system residual
Sudden change in residual Increase chlorine dose immediately and
determine the cause of the increased chlorine
demand

Disinfection Process Lab Tests

Overview
There are two different types of tests used to monitor the disinfection process. Chlorine residual is
measured at several points throughout the treatment process and at various locations in the distribution
system. Bacteriological tests are performed on distribution system samples at the same locations as
chlorine residual tests.

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Chlorine Residual Test
The chlorine residual test can give the operator two important pieces of data:
1. The chlorine residual level
2. The type of residual
• Free
• Combined

The DPD method is a field method that will quickly give the operator the residual level. Amperometric
titration is a more accurate laboratory method.

Chlorine Demand Test

Performed to determine how much chlorine is consumed by the treated water. A series of samples are
dosed with different known chlorine concentrations and allowed to react for 10 minutes. The chlorine
residual is measured in each sample to determine the demand. Demand = Dose – Residual. Results are
averaged.

Bacteriological Test
Common pathogenic organisms found in drinking water all have the same point of origin – the feces of
animals and humans. Coliform bacteria are easy to detect and are a good indication of whether or not
there are pathogens in the water supply since they live in the intestines of people and warm blooded
animals. If there are no coliform bacteria in the treated water, pathogenic organisms are not likely to be
present either since pathogens are less resistant to chlorine than coliform bacteria.

Chlorine Safety
Overview
Chlorine gas is very hazardous and can cause great harm and even death if not handled properly
It is essential that all operators are trained on-site in the proper handling and switching of chlorine.
cylinders before being asked to change one out and put a new one in service. In addition to training, the
proper equipment is necessary for safe operations.

Proper Safety Equipment

SCBA
Self-contained breathing equipment is required to be available and used when changing chlorine
cylinders. These provide a positive pressure to a full face mask supplied from an air cylinder worn on
the operator's back. These units should be NIOSH approved and operators should be fit tested to
ensure proper sealing of the face mask.

Emergency Repair Kits

There are three different repair kits that are intended to repair different types of leaks. The facility
should have the appropriate repair kits on site and train its personnel in their proper use in the event of
a chlorine leak.
• Kit A – 150 lb cylinders
• Kit B – 1 ton containers
• Kit C – tank trucks and rail cars
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Chlorine Detector
A chlorine detector installed near the floor in a chlorine storage room is a piece of safety equipment that
all facilities using chlorine gas should have installed. Regular maintenance and testing should be
performed on these detectors to keep them operating properly. They can catch small leaks before they
become major leaks.

Chlorine Scrubber
Scrubbing systems are automatically started by chlorine sensors installed near the floor of the chlorine
storage room. They create a negative pressure on the chlorine storage building and draw the air
through the scrubber to remove chlorine gas by a chemical reaction with caustic soda (NaOH) and then
discharge it to the atmosphere. They are typically designed to handle a release of the entire contents of
a 1-ton cylinder (2,000 pounds of chlorine). This system should be tested and maintained to ensure it is
ready to function as designed at all times since accidents are not scheduled events but happen at the
most inopportune times.

Proper Safety Procedures

All facilities storing chlorine gas on site must have safety procedures in place to handle a chlorine leak.
At a minimum, these safety procedures should include:
• Precautions for storing and handling cylinders
• Basic connecting and disconnecting procedures
• Procedure to follow in the event of a leak
• Emergency community notification procedures during a leak
• First-aid procedures for chlorine exposure

Chlorine Leak Assistance

There are organizations that specialize in chlorine leak response and repair. Treatment plants using
chlorine gas should be familiar with and should make contact with these organizations before an
accident occurs. It is good to have a relationship with these organizations before they are needed
These organizations include:
• CHLOREP
• CHEMTREC

The North American Chlorine Emergency Plan is a mutual aid program that is in place to provide support
for chlorine incidents occurring during transportation or at the user’s location. The Chemical
Transportation Emergency Center should be called in the event of a large chlorine leak. They will
dispatch an emergency response team.

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