The use of chlorine in the municipal wastewater treatment facility in Kanapaha, Florida is what disinfects the water.
When chlorine is combined with organic matter it creates an oxidation state known as hypochlorous acid (HClO), which kills many harmful bacteria and viruses.
As chlorination neutralizes the free radicals before they can cause further damage, it makes for much cleaner drinking water that is less likely to cause any health problems.
The more selective a process that works on a specific range of organisms, the lower its effectiveness at killing pathogens that do not have a specific affinity towards chlorinated compounds.
Therefore, municipal wastewater treatment plants using chlorine as their disinfectant are extremely effective at killing the pathogens that cause the most waterborne diseases.
A report conducted on chlorine use by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that out of the 28 diseases monitored, only 0.01% carried by water, were actually transferred through drinking water even though it is used for bathing and cooking.
The CDC publishes this report every year to educate citizens on how to dispose of used hypochlorous acid (HClO) to prevent any negative health effects caused by exposure to HClO.
Although the report details the uses of chlorinated water, neither directly or indirectly does it suggest any health risks associated with drinking chlorinated water.
In fact, the CDC encourages everyone to drink tap water because it is a healthy and convenient way to get all necessary nutrients.
Chlorine is used in municipal water treatment plants throughout the country, and is actually more disinfectant than some other treatment methods because chlorine disinfects without adding any foreign compounds into the treated water.
What does the kanapaha wastewater treatment facility use to disinfect the treated water?
No, the kanapaha wastewater treatment facility does not use chlorine to disinfect the treated water.
The kanapaha wastewater treatment facility uses ozone to disinfect the treated water. Ozone is a naturally occurring gas that is made of three oxygen atoms bound together, O3.
1. Ozone is a colourless gas .
It is found in the atmosphere.
2. Ozone can also be produced from oxygen and nitrogen (O3) .
Released into the air through various industrial processes like:
a. chlorine production (bromine and chlorine industries).
b. chlorination of water (chlorine/chloramination).
c. bleaching of wood pulp (paper manufacturing).
3. Ozone is used to disinfect water.
It is used to disinfect water or to turn it into drinking water
.
The kanapaha wastewater treatment facility uses ozone to disinfect the treated water which kills bacteria and viruses such as:
1. Viruses (human and animal) such as:
a. Measles.
b. Hepatitis B and C (viruses can be spread through infected blood). c. herpes simplex (cold sores and genital herpes).
d. tuberculosis (TB). e. diphtheria (an airborne disease).
f. human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which causes AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
g. West Nile virus, an infectious disease spread by mosquitoes, which is prevalent during the summer months of the year in Florida and the surrounding areas such as: Everglades National Park, Keys, Miami FL , Naples FL , Orlando FL . h. many other viruses.
2. Bacteria such as :
E. coli, salmonella, cholera, giardia, etc.
3. Parasites such as :
Toxoplasma gondii which causes toxoplasmosis
4. Protozoa (Crypto virus):
Which cause protozoan cysts in the body of animals that are sexually active.
5. Heavy metals such as arsenic and mercury which are found in rat poison and polluting soil, lakes and rivers throughout the United States 90% of the pesticides contain trace amounts of heavy metals such as:
a. lead.
b. mercury.
c. arsenic.
d. cadmium, chromium, lead and nickel (as a result of the chlorination process). e. many other heavy metals such as: manganese, cobalt, iron and zinc which are used in the manufacturing of chlorinated compounds and drainage systems and sometimes pollute drinking water by leaching into groundwater and coming to our taps through well water and septic tanks that leak into the soil system where it is used as a fertilizer for plant life – but never enters our drinking or bathing water – unless we use them or absorb them through contaminated soil in our gardens!
6. Other toxins such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) which are found in some areas of the country.
7. Some harmful bacteria are killed by ozone, but many more are created by ozone because ozone is more of an oxidizer than a disinfectant.
However, the kanapaha wastewater treatment facility uses ozone for disinfecting the treated water at concentrations of 200 to 300 parts per million (ppm) for 15 to 20 minutes using ultraviolet light.
It is important that you understand that ozone is not just oxygen with added oxygen atoms, it is an unstable compound that breaks down rapidly upon exposure to light and can have negative effects on your health.
