![]() ![]() Chloramines may form lower levels of regulated DBPs than chlorine, but, depending on the source water characteristics, they have the potential to form other DBPs and increase the risks of nitrate formation and corrosion in the distribution system. Types of disinfectionīesides chlorine, there are several other types of disinfectants. To learn more, visit Guidance Values and Standards for Contaminants in Drinking Water. ![]() Guidance values are based only on potential health impacts and do not consider cost and technology of prevention and/or treatment and may be set at levels that are costly, challenging, or impossible for a water system to meet. ![]() Minnesota’s public water systems are not required to meet health-based guidance values they may use guidance values as goals, benchmarks, or indicators of potential concern. These values are protective for the most sensitive and/or highly exposed populations. The Minnesota Department of Health sets health-based guidance values for some DBPs. The water system must also notify all of their customers of the DBP levels. Actions could include adjustments to organics removal processes, disinfection dose and location, and distribution system management. ![]() If they are above the limits set by EPA, the water system must take action to reduce the DBPs. To learn more, visit EPA’s National Primary Drinking Water Regulations – Disinfection Byproducts.Īll public water systems that disinfect must regularly test their treated water to determine if regulated DBPs are present and at what levels. EPA set these limits by balancing the health benefits of water disinfection with the risk of exposure to disinfection byproducts. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): trihalomethanes (THMs), haloacetic acids (HAAs), chlorite, and bromate. Several types of DBPs have limits set by the U.S. Scientists have identified hundreds of DBPs. Surface water sources are more likely to contain the organic materials that combine with chlorine to form DBPs. The formation of DBPs is usually a greater concern for water systems that use surface water, such as rivers, lakes, and streams, as their source. Chlorine can react with organic materials in water to form disinfection byproducts (DBPs). Disinfection byproductsĪlthough chlorine has been a literal lifesaver with regard to drinking water, it also has the potential to form byproducts that can cause harmful health effects. For more information on chlorination, visit Drinking Water Chlorination: Frequently Asked Questions. Chlorine effectively kills waterborne bacteria and viruses and continues to keep the water safe as it travels from the treatment plant to the consumer's tap. The most common method of disinfection is through the addition of chlorine to drinking water supplies. Public water systems play an essential role in protecting public health through treatment and disinfection processes. Both the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control regard disinfection of drinking water as one of the most important advances in public health. As of 2018, approximately 725 community water systems in Minnesota provide disinfected drinking water.ĭisinfection makes our water safer to drink, and we do not have to worry about the waterborne diseases of the past. Eventually, all Minnesota cities that get drinking water from lakes or rivers started to disinfect. In the early 1900s, cities started disinfecting drinking water supplies to kill bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms that cause disease and immediate illness. Many people thought that the taste of the water determined its purity, not knowing that even the best tasting water could contain disease-causing organisms. Waterborne diseases like typhoid fever and dysentery were a common part of life-and a common cause of death, too. Disinfection and Disinfection Byproducts Drinking Water Disinfection: A public health success storyĪt the beginning of the 1900s, life was very different in the United States. ![]()
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