Once a simple process of tossing in a handful of chlorine to kill bacteria, disinfection has become a delicate balancing act. On one side is the need to prevent waterborne disease; on the other is the need to protect consumers from exposure to potentially hazardous disinfection by-products (DBPs). Chlorine, the disinfectant of choice for decades, is being displaced by or supplemented with other disinfectants in an effort to curtail the formation of DBPs. One of the most economical ways to limit DBP formation is to use monochloramine to maintain a disinfectant residual in the distribution system, minimizing the contact time between chlorine and natural organic matter (NOM).
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