Chlorine is a highly effective disinfectant added to public water supplies to kill disease-causing bacteria and micro-organisms. It is considered one of the major public health advances of the 20th century, having greatly reduced water-borne illnesses such as typhoid fever, dysentery and cholera. According to the American Water Works Association, an estimated 3 million people around the world die from preventable waterborne diseases every year.
Like many public water systems, Sacramento Suburban Water District (SSWD) adds chlorine to disinfect its water supplies. Added in strict accordance with state and federal regulations, the amount of chlorine in the water is roughly equal to one drop of chlorine in a standard-size bathtub full of water.
The addition of chlorine helps maintain water quality all the way to the tap and keep the water free from any risk of accidental contamination. Drinking water systems that regularly add disinfectants such as chlorine score high marks for water quality and have virtually no occurrence of water-borne diseases. To learn more about water quality, go to sswd.org.