Disinfection

As the final step before treated wastewater leaves the plant, effective disinfection is extremely important to protect human health, and the maintenance of the environment. This process eliminates pathogenic organisms that cannot be removed by previous treatment steps and reduces the spread of pathogens in the natural ecosystem.

Chlorination became the standard process for disinfection early in the 20th century and was extremely successful at oxidizing pathogens in treated wastewater. However, in the 1970’s, the industry recognized the negative effects of chlorine and chlorine byproducts on the environment and human health. Stringent standards were then passed regulating the concentrations of chlorine residuals in plant effluent.