Chlorine also forms chlorinated organic compounds by action on the
organic matter present in water and some of the objectionable tastes and
odours of chlorinated waters have been attributed to this agency. Some
observers have stated that chloramines were amongst the chloro-organo
compounds produced but the author's experience with the Ottawa supply
has demonstrated that simple chloramine (NH_{2}Cl) can be successfully
employed for water treatment without causing complaints. It was
suggested on page 28 that some of the higher chloro-amines might be the
cause of some complaints but at present there is no definite information
regarding the formation of these compounds in water and all such
hypotheses are little more than conjectures. Letton[1] has reported that
at Trenton, in 1911, when the water of the Delaware River was first
treated, the dosage was as high as 1.2 p.p.m. of available chlorine and
although chemical tests showed the absence of free chlorine, the water
had an extremely disagreeable taste which was especially noticeable in
the hot water. The conclusion was reached that "the taste and odour were
not those of chlorine, but were due to some complex chemical change
brought about by the action of the chlorine on the organic matter
present in the water."
The waters that require the most accurate adjustment of chlorine dosage,
if complaints are to be avoided, are those containing very small amounts
of organic matter. The margin between the dosage required for the
attainment of a satisfactory degree of bacteriological purity and that
which may cause complaints is usually very small, often less than 25
per cent, with the waters of the Great Lakes and many filter effluents.
On the other hand, coloured waters containing large amounts of organic
matter can be treated with an excess of chlorine without causing tastes
and odours. The author found that the addition of 1.5 p.p.m. of
available chlorine to the Ottawa River water did not cause complaints
although only 0.8 to 0.9 p.p.m. were usually required for satisfactory
purification. Harrington of Montreal has had a similar experience with
this water.
The presence of traces of foreign substances in water sometimes produces
chlorinated derivatives having repugnant tastes and odours. Creosote and
tar oils have caused an odour somewhat resembling that of iodoform and
industrial wastes have also produced complaints.
The substitution of chlorine gas (liquid chlorine) for bleach solutions
has apparently eliminated tastes and odours in some cases but this may
be due to a more perfect control over the dosage rather than to any
property of the bleach _per se_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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