Debra Langley, Detroit, MI, asks: If chlorine in our water is so unhealthy, why do they use it?
ANSWER I’ve always wondered who “they” are. In this case it should be “we”. Our public water utilities are governed by federal agencies, which are governed by us. While chlorine and its byproducts are known to have significant adverse health effects on humans, we choose it over water borne disease outbreaks like typhoid and cholera that plagued most countries prior to chlorines introduction in the late 1800s. We don’t use chlorine because it’s the most effective means of disinfecting water, we use it because it’s the cheapest! With all the technology we possess today, we still essentially pour bleach in our drinking water to kill bacteria. There are several more healthful methods of disinfecting public water supplies. Some other countries have turned to alternative methods because of recent findings about chlorine risks. The problem is that they are much more costly and, in reality less practical. The fact that less than 1% of the water supplied to our homes is used for consumption, me
