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Wastewater Treatment
Technology Tutorial
Chemical
Disinfection
The disinfection of wastewater through the use of chemicals
such as chlorine typically acts as the final step in
wastewater treatment. Disinfection seeks to remove
harmful organics and pathogens causing cholera, polio,
typhoid, hepatitis, and a number of other bacterial,
viral, and parasitic diseases from the water.
 Due
to security concerns, some wastewater treatment facilities
are using sodium hypochlorite to eliminate the
need for chlorine. Sodium hypochlorite is more expensive
than liquid chlorine, but is also safer.
Although chlorine is considered the tried and true
solution to reducing pathogens in contaminated water,
the method of disinfection (energetic methods such as
UV disinfection and ozone
in addition to chemical) must fit the type of pathogen
the wastewater harbors, to be truly effective.
 Through
disinfection a significant portion of the pathogens
are inactivated, however, it is difficult to identify
individual pathogens within wastewater, and therefore
indicator pathogens are used. In wastewater,
fecal coliform acts as the indicator pathogen,
but there has been discussion of using Escherichia
coli (E. coli) or Total Coliform, the
indicator for potable water, to check wastewater. It
is important to note that no method of disinfection
is effective on all types of wastewater.
For more information:
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