Bleach to wash the hull?
 

I saw my wife grab a bucket and a scrubber and a bottle of bleach to go wash
our boat. Her thinking was that since we've been on a lake with an algae
problem the bleach would kill any algae that we brought back with us.

I asked her to stick with liquid detergent since I didn't know what bleach
would do to the paint or decals on the boat.

What would have happened if she had used bleach?

Bleach to wash the hull?
 

"Bryan" wrote in message
om...
I saw my wife grab a bucket and a scrubber and a bottle of bleach to go
wash
our boat. Her thinking was that since we've been on a lake with an algae
problem the bleach would kill any algae that we brought back with us.

I asked her to stick with liquid detergent since I didn't know what bleach
would do to the paint or decals on the boat.

What would have happened if she had used bleach?



I use beach as well at my own peril.

Whenever I do this, the fluid that emerges is milky white.
Im probably beaching the "good stuff" out of the gel coat.
She's nice-n-white when Im done though.

This is a habit I need to correct.

db

Bleach to wash the hull?
 

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...


I used to use bleach diluted in a bucket of water to help clean out my
center console boats in Florida after a particularly bloody day of
fishing, with guts, bait, et cetera everywhere. Never hurt the fiberglass.
Keep it off the upholstery and anything porous that might change color.

If I recall, it pretty much removes any wax on the boat, too.


As will the "liquid detergent".

If you want to keep your wax, use car or boat soap.

Eisboch

Bleach to wash the hull?
 

"Bryan" wrote in message
om...
I saw my wife grab a bucket and a scrubber and a bottle of bleach to go
wash our boat. Her thinking was that since we've been on a lake with an
algae problem the bleach would kill any algae that we brought back with us.

I asked her to stick with liquid detergent since I didn't know what bleach
would do to the paint or decals on the boat.

What would have happened if she had used bleach?

Her motivation is sound, but I think her chemistry could be improved. Since
you trailer your boat (at least I that's the case), long-term algae build up
is probably not at the top of your list of issues. More likely, what you're
really trying to deal with are water spots on the hull. Either way, algae
or hard-water mineral deposits (spots), tend to be alkaline, and the
antidote for alkaline is acid. Sort of a matter/anti-matter thing. If
you're just dealing with water spots, one of the cheapest and most effective
treatments is a vinegar and water solution. Vinegar is a mild acid, and you
can buy mongo-sized bottles of the stuff at Costco for next to nothing. Mix
a solution of vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray the hull and wipe
with a clean rag. Have a beer, you're done. In the case of stubborn algae
build-up, such as when a boat has been slipped for a while, you need to step
up to a more robust acidic solution, probably muriatic acid (what you put in
your swimming pool) and water.

Bleach to wash the hull?
 

RG writes:

If
you're just dealing with water spots, one of the cheapest and most
effective treatments is a vinegar and water solution.

Vinegar is a very costly way to buy protons. Buy muriatic acid at a pool
store and dilute to the appropriate strength. Or the Zep calcium-lime-rust
cleaner (CLR clone) at Home Depot.

Bleach to wash the hull?
 

"RG" wrote in message
...

Her motivation is sound, but I think her chemistry could be improved.
Since you trailer your boat (at least I that's the case), long-term algae
build up is probably not at the top of your list of issues. More likely,
what you're really trying to deal with are water spots on the hull.
Either way, algae or hard-water mineral deposits (spots), tend to be
alkaline, and the antidote for alkaline is acid. Sort of a
matter/anti-matter thing. If you're just dealing with water spots, one of
the cheapest and most effective treatments is a vinegar and water
solution. Vinegar is a mild acid, and you can buy mongo-sized bottles of
the stuff at Costco for next to nothing. Mix a solution of vinegar and
water in a spray bottle. Spray the hull and wipe with a clean rag. Have
a beer, you're done. In the case of stubborn algae build-up, such as when
a boat has been slipped for a while, you need to step up to a more robust
acidic solution, probably muriatic acid (what you put in your swimming
pool) and water.


The algae issue is one of the lakes we visit a couple of times a year has a
serious algae (actually, it might be a cyanobacteria) problem (I'll have to
look into it a little deeper). To minimize our cross-contamination
potential we like to really scrub the hull and trailer before visiting other
lakes.

Now that you mention the water spots that was going to be my next question.
We haven't been giving the topsides a good cleaning often enough and we've
got water spots! I'll try your vinegar solution. Thanks.

Bleach to wash the hull?
 

Don't use bleach on vinyl. It'll leach out the plasticizers and destroy
it over time. Best thing I've ever found for vinyl is Barkeeper's
Friend scrubbing powder with a spray of Simple Green. A little bleach
for the hull, etc. should be too bad, as long as you don't use a very
strong mixture.

Bleach to wash the hull?
 

I asked her to stick with liquid detergent since I didn't know what bleach
would do to the paint or decals on the boat.

Or the wax or the surrounding environment. Best to use a cleaner designed
for the purpose. I've found Oli-pine works great.

Bleach to wash the hull?
 

"Keith" wrote in message
oups.com...
Don't use bleach on vinyl. It'll leach out the plasticizers and destroy
it over time. Best thing I've ever found for vinyl is Barkeeper's
Friend scrubbing powder with a spray of Simple Green. A little bleach
for the hull, etc. should be too bad, as long as you don't use a very
strong mixture.


Thanks for sharing the knowledge everyone!

Bleach to wash the hull?
 

Bill Kearney wrote:
I asked her to stick with liquid detergent since I didn't know what bleach
would do to the paint or decals on the boat.

Or the wax or the surrounding environment.

The water that I use to water my garden and my lawn has chlorine in it!
So, it's actually benificial to my environment.

Bleach to wash the hull?
 

The water that I use to water my garden and my lawn has chlorine in it!
So, it's actually benificial to my environment.

Yeah, uh, you go drink that bucket of bleach water first and then tell us
how beneficial it was.

Bleach to wash the hull?
 

Bill Kearney wrote:
The water that I use to water my garden and my lawn has chlorine in it!
So, it's actually benificial to my environment.

Yeah, uh, you go drink that bucket of bleach water first and then tell us
how beneficial it was.

I drink my tap water every day! It has the same chlorine as bleach has
in it.

Bleach to wash the hull?
 

I drink my tap water every day! It has the same chlorine as bleach has
in it.

Err, no it doesn't and certainly in nowhere near the same concentration.
But hey, go ahead and give drinking it a try.

Bleach to wash the hull?
 

Bill Kearney wrote:
I drink my tap water every day! It has the same chlorine as bleach has
in it.

Err, no it doesn't and certainly in nowhere near the same concentration.
But hey, go ahead and give drinking it a try.

Are you REALLY trying to say that my county water doesn't have chlorine
in it??? Really, now, are you?

He
http://www.c3.org/chlorines_everyday_uses/before.html

Which, in part states:
Just as water is essential to life, chlorine is essential to safe
water. Public health officials overwhelmingly agree:

In a 1992 survey of public health officials, 92 percent agreed that
chlorine is crucial to eliminating waterborne diseases, and 87 percent
said they view chlorine as the safest way to assure quality drinking
water.
Experts also agree that chlorine's introduction early this century into
the U.S. drinking water supply is one of history's great public health
advances. Safe, chlorinated water has played a key role in:
a 50 percent-plus increase in life expectancy, from about 45 years in
the early 1900s to about 76 years at present;
a dramatic decline in infant mortality rates; and

the virtual elimination of cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery and
gastroenteritis, as well as many other waterborne diseases which once
killed tens of thousands of Americans.

Or this:
A Water Treatment Primer

Water treatment practices vary in the United States, but there are
generally accepted basic techniques. Source water quality predicates
the kind of treatment required to provide safe water. Therefore,
protecting source water quality is a primary goal.

The treatment choice depends on a number of factors that are site
specific and for which adjustments must be made depending on raw water
quality. Source water quality and turbidity (particulate matter)
levels, water temperature and pH level, and incidence of pathogenic
contaminants must be taken into account for treatment decision making.

Conventional, sequential water treatment for surface water proceeds as
follows: watershed protection program; pretreatment employing
flocculation and sedimentation to remove turbidity, as well as the
organic precursors that form by-products; filtration; disinfection at
an appropriate concentration (C) for a prescribed time (T) (CT
criteria) to destroy harmful organisms; and the addition of chlorine to
maintain residual disinfection throughout the distribution system.
There may also be a need for prechlorination or rechlorination during
storage and/or distribution to ensure that an appropriate residual is
maintained throughout the system.


Table 1. Disinfection Practices in the USA

Disinfectant
Percentage*

Chlorine gas
87.0

No ammonia
67.0

Ammonia added
20.0

Chlorine & hypochlorite
4.5

Chlorine & chlorine dioxide
3.0

Chlorine & chlorine dioxide & ammonia nitrogen
1.5

Hypochlorite
1.5

Chlorine & hypochlorite & ammonia nitrogen
0.75

Chlorine & chlorine dioxide & hypochlorite
0.37

98.6% use chlorine-based disinfectants

Ozone
0.37

Other
0.75

* Percentage of facilities that disinfect
Source: 1989-1990 AWWA Disinfection Committee Survey of Disinfection
Practices

Primary disinfection provides the appropriate CT to inactivate
microbial pathogens. Disinfectants proven effective for this purpose
include free chlorine, chlorine dioxide and ozone. Secondary
disinfection ensures residual protection to control microorganism
regrowth or recontamination during water storage and distribution.
Either free chlorine or chlorine plus the addition of ammonia to form
chloramine accomplishes this task. Because ozone quickly decomposes in
water, a chlorine-based disinfectant must be added prior to
distribution to provide this second level of protection.

Need some more? Just let me know!
By the way, I keep my pool chlorine level at 3 ppm, my drinking water
here tests at 2 ppm

Bleach to wash the hull?
 

"basskisser" wrote in message
oups.com...

Bill Kearney wrote:
I drink my tap water every day! It has the same chlorine as bleach has
in it.

Err, no it doesn't and certainly in nowhere near the same concentration.
But hey, go ahead and give drinking it a try.

Are you REALLY trying to say that my county water doesn't have chlorine
in it??? Really, now, are you?

He
http://www.c3.org/chlorines_everyday_uses/before.html

Which, in part states:
Just as water is essential to life, chlorine is essential to safe
water. Public health officials overwhelmingly agree:

In a 1992 survey of public health officials, 92 percent agreed that
chlorine is crucial to eliminating waterborne diseases, and 87 percent
said they view chlorine as the safest way to assure quality drinking
water.
Experts also agree that chlorine's introduction early this century into
the U.S. drinking water supply is one of history's great public health
advances. Safe, chlorinated water has played a key role in:
a 50 percent-plus increase in life expectancy, from about 45 years in
the early 1900s to about 76 years at present;
a dramatic decline in infant mortality rates; and

the virtual elimination of cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery and
gastroenteritis, as well as many other waterborne diseases which once
killed tens of thousands of Americans.

Or this:
A Water Treatment Primer

Water treatment practices vary in the United States, but there are
generally accepted basic techniques. Source water quality predicates
the kind of treatment required to provide safe water. Therefore,
protecting source water quality is a primary goal.

The treatment choice depends on a number of factors that are site
specific and for which adjustments must be made depending on raw water
quality. Source water quality and turbidity (particulate matter)
levels, water temperature and pH level, and incidence of pathogenic
contaminants must be taken into account for treatment decision making.

Conventional, sequential water treatment for surface water proceeds as
follows: watershed protection program; pretreatment employing
flocculation and sedimentation to remove turbidity, as well as the
organic precursors that form by-products; filtration; disinfection at
an appropriate concentration (C) for a prescribed time (T) (CT
criteria) to destroy harmful organisms; and the addition of chlorine to
maintain residual disinfection throughout the distribution system.
There may also be a need for prechlorination or rechlorination during
storage and/or distribution to ensure that an appropriate residual is
maintained throughout the system.


Table 1. Disinfection Practices in the USA

Disinfectant
Percentage*

Chlorine gas
87.0

No ammonia
67.0

Ammonia added
20.0

Chlorine & hypochlorite
4.5

Chlorine & chlorine dioxide
3.0

Chlorine & chlorine dioxide & ammonia nitrogen
1.5

Hypochlorite
1.5

Chlorine & hypochlorite & ammonia nitrogen
0.75

Chlorine & chlorine dioxide & hypochlorite
0.37

98.6% use chlorine-based disinfectants

Ozone
0.37

Other
0.75

* Percentage of facilities that disinfect
Source: 1989-1990 AWWA Disinfection Committee Survey of Disinfection
Practices

Primary disinfection provides the appropriate CT to inactivate
microbial pathogens. Disinfectants proven effective for this purpose
include free chlorine, chlorine dioxide and ozone. Secondary
disinfection ensures residual protection to control microorganism
regrowth or recontamination during water storage and distribution.
Either free chlorine or chlorine plus the addition of ammonia to form
chloramine accomplishes this task. Because ozone quickly decomposes in
water, a chlorine-based disinfectant must be added prior to
distribution to provide this second level of protection.

Need some more? Just let me know!
By the way, I keep my pool chlorine level at 3 ppm, my drinking water
here tests at 2 ppm


Chlorine is not required for safe water. Fact is leaves some nasties at
times. Other ways to sanitize water. Bromine, ionization.

Bleach to wash the hull?
 

Calif Bill wrote:
"basskisser" wrote in message
oups.com...

Bill Kearney wrote:
I drink my tap water every day! It has the same chlorine as bleach has
in it.

Err, no it doesn't and certainly in nowhere near the same concentration.
But hey, go ahead and give drinking it a try.

Are you REALLY trying to say that my county water doesn't have chlorine
in it??? Really, now, are you?

He
http://www.c3.org/chlorines_everyday_uses/before.html

Which, in part states:
Just as water is essential to life, chlorine is essential to safe
water. Public health officials overwhelmingly agree:

In a 1992 survey of public health officials, 92 percent agreed that
chlorine is crucial to eliminating waterborne diseases, and 87 percent
said they view chlorine as the safest way to assure quality drinking
water.
Experts also agree that chlorine's introduction early this century into
the U.S. drinking water supply is one of history's great public health
advances. Safe, chlorinated water has played a key role in:
a 50 percent-plus increase in life expectancy, from about 45 years in
the early 1900s to about 76 years at present;
a dramatic decline in infant mortality rates; and

the virtual elimination of cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery and
gastroenteritis, as well as many other waterborne diseases which once
killed tens of thousands of Americans.

Or this:
A Water Treatment Primer

Water treatment practices vary in the United States, but there are
generally accepted basic techniques. Source water quality predicates
the kind of treatment required to provide safe water. Therefore,
protecting source water quality is a primary goal.

The treatment choice depends on a number of factors that are site
specific and for which adjustments must be made depending on raw water
quality. Source water quality and turbidity (particulate matter)
levels, water temperature and pH level, and incidence of pathogenic
contaminants must be taken into account for treatment decision making.

Conventional, sequential water treatment for surface water proceeds as
follows: watershed protection program; pretreatment employing
flocculation and sedimentation to remove turbidity, as well as the
organic precursors that form by-products; filtration; disinfection at
an appropriate concentration (C) for a prescribed time (T) (CT
criteria) to destroy harmful organisms; and the addition of chlorine to
maintain residual disinfection throughout the distribution system.
There may also be a need for prechlorination or rechlorination during
storage and/or distribution to ensure that an appropriate residual is
maintained throughout the system.


Table 1. Disinfection Practices in the USA

Disinfectant
Percentage*

Chlorine gas
87.0

No ammonia
67.0

Ammonia added
20.0

Chlorine & hypochlorite
4.5

Chlorine & chlorine dioxide
3.0

Chlorine & chlorine dioxide & ammonia nitrogen
1.5

Hypochlorite
1.5

Chlorine & hypochlorite & ammonia nitrogen
0.75

Chlorine & chlorine dioxide & hypochlorite
0.37

98.6% use chlorine-based disinfectants

Ozone
0.37

Other
0.75

* Percentage of facilities that disinfect
Source: 1989-1990 AWWA Disinfection Committee Survey of Disinfection
Practices

Primary disinfection provides the appropriate CT to inactivate
microbial pathogens. Disinfectants proven effective for this purpose
include free chlorine, chlorine dioxide and ozone. Secondary
disinfection ensures residual protection to control microorganism
regrowth or recontamination during water storage and distribution.
Either free chlorine or chlorine plus the addition of ammonia to form
chloramine accomplishes this task. Because ozone quickly decomposes in
water, a chlorine-based disinfectant must be added prior to
distribution to provide this second level of protection.

Need some more? Just let me know!
By the way, I keep my pool chlorine level at 3 ppm, my drinking water
here tests at 2 ppm


Chlorine is not required for safe water. Fact is leaves some nasties at
times. Other ways to sanitize water. Bromine, ionization.

Bromine is the WORST pool sanitizer. Yes, it sanitizes well, but leaves
all sorts of problems in it's wake. The ONLY thing that using chlorine
in a pool leaves in terms of "nasties" is chloramines, which are easily
taken care of by shocking or super chlorinating. A lot of people are
duped by their pool supply store, whos only goal is to sell you
products you don't need. Check this out:
http://www.poolsolutions.com

And here's the dope on the bad of Bromine:
I too would be very interested in the answer. You will probably find
it is either liquid bromine or bromine sticks - ie
(Bromochlorodimethylhydantoin - I hope you got all that! BCDMH for
short). In England a few public municipal pools used to operate on
liquid bromine, but to the best of my knowledge they have all now
changed back to chlorine. Bromine sticks are mostly used in
commercial pools (schools, hotels, holiday parks) and privately owned
swimming pools. When reacted with water the BCDMH dissociates into
hypochlorous acid, hypobromous acid and dimethylhydantoin. The first
two are responsible for sanitising the water (primarily the
hypobromous acid). The potentially scarey guy is dimethylhydantoin
which can accumulate to quite high levels. There is no field test for
it - it can only be measured in a lab, so most pools go on regardless,
oblivious of the level in the water. The toxicity of
dimethylhydantoin has not been studied - and that's quite enough to
put me off even before we get to skin rashes

Bleach to wash the hull?
 

"basskisser" wrote in message
oups.com...

Calif Bill wrote:
"basskisser" wrote in message
oups.com...

Bill Kearney wrote:
I drink my tap water every day! It has the same chlorine as bleach
has
in it.

Err, no it doesn't and certainly in nowhere near the same
concentration.
But hey, go ahead and give drinking it a try.

Are you REALLY trying to say that my county water doesn't have chlorine
in it??? Really, now, are you?

He
http://www.c3.org/chlorines_everyday_uses/before.html

Which, in part states:
Just as water is essential to life, chlorine is essential to safe
water. Public health officials overwhelmingly agree:

In a 1992 survey of public health officials, 92 percent agreed that
chlorine is crucial to eliminating waterborne diseases, and 87 percent
said they view chlorine as the safest way to assure quality drinking
water.
Experts also agree that chlorine's introduction early this century into
the U.S. drinking water supply is one of history's great public health
advances. Safe, chlorinated water has played a key role in:
a 50 percent-plus increase in life expectancy, from about 45 years in
the early 1900s to about 76 years at present;
a dramatic decline in infant mortality rates; and

the virtual elimination of cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery and
gastroenteritis, as well as many other waterborne diseases which once
killed tens of thousands of Americans.

Or this:
A Water Treatment Primer

Water treatment practices vary in the United States, but there are
generally accepted basic techniques. Source water quality predicates
the kind of treatment required to provide safe water. Therefore,
protecting source water quality is a primary goal.

The treatment choice depends on a number of factors that are site
specific and for which adjustments must be made depending on raw water
quality. Source water quality and turbidity (particulate matter)
levels, water temperature and pH level, and incidence of pathogenic
contaminants must be taken into account for treatment decision making.

Conventional, sequential water treatment for surface water proceeds as
follows: watershed protection program; pretreatment employing
flocculation and sedimentation to remove turbidity, as well as the
organic precursors that form by-products; filtration; disinfection at
an appropriate concentration (C) for a prescribed time (T) (CT
criteria) to destroy harmful organisms; and the addition of chlorine to
maintain residual disinfection throughout the distribution system.
There may also be a need for prechlorination or rechlorination during
storage and/or distribution to ensure that an appropriate residual is
maintained throughout the system.


Table 1. Disinfection Practices in the USA

Disinfectant
Percentage*

Chlorine gas
87.0

No ammonia
67.0

Ammonia added
20.0

Chlorine & hypochlorite
4.5

Chlorine & chlorine dioxide
3.0

Chlorine & chlorine dioxide & ammonia nitrogen
1.5

Hypochlorite
1.5

Chlorine & hypochlorite & ammonia nitrogen
0.75

Chlorine & chlorine dioxide & hypochlorite
0.37

98.6% use chlorine-based disinfectants

Ozone
0.37

Other
0.75

* Percentage of facilities that disinfect
Source: 1989-1990 AWWA Disinfection Committee Survey of Disinfection
Practices

Primary disinfection provides the appropriate CT to inactivate
microbial pathogens. Disinfectants proven effective for this purpose
include free chlorine, chlorine dioxide and ozone. Secondary
disinfection ensures residual protection to control microorganism
regrowth or recontamination during water storage and distribution.
Either free chlorine or chlorine plus the addition of ammonia to form
chloramine accomplishes this task. Because ozone quickly decomposes in
water, a chlorine-based disinfectant must be added prior to
distribution to provide this second level of protection.

Need some more? Just let me know!
By the way, I keep my pool chlorine level at 3 ppm, my drinking water
here tests at 2 ppm


Chlorine is not required for safe water. Fact is leaves some nasties at
times. Other ways to sanitize water. Bromine, ionization.

Bromine is the WORST pool sanitizer. Yes, it sanitizes well, but leaves
all sorts of problems in it's wake. The ONLY thing that using chlorine
in a pool leaves in terms of "nasties" is chloramines, which are easily
taken care of by shocking or super chlorinating. A lot of people are
duped by their pool supply store, whos only goal is to sell you
products you don't need. Check this out:
http://www.poolsolutions.com

And here's the dope on the bad of Bromine:
I too would be very interested in the answer. You will probably find
it is either liquid bromine or bromine sticks - ie
(Bromochlorodimethylhydantoin - I hope you got all that! BCDMH for
short). In England a few public municipal pools used to operate on
liquid bromine, but to the best of my knowledge they have all now
changed back to chlorine. Bromine sticks are mostly used in
commercial pools (schools, hotels, holiday parks) and privately owned
swimming pools. When reacted with water the BCDMH dissociates into
hypochlorous acid, hypobromous acid and dimethylhydantoin. The first
two are responsible for sanitising the water (primarily the
hypobromous acid). The potentially scarey guy is dimethylhydantoin
which can accumulate to quite high levels. There is no field test for
it - it can only be measured in a lab, so most pools go on regardless,
oblivious of the level in the water. The toxicity of
dimethylhydantoin has not been studied - and that's quite enough to
put me off even before we get to skin rashes


We are talking of drinking water. Pools are a different entity. And
chloramines are a nasty in drinking water.

Bleach to wash the hull?
 

Calif Bill wrote:
"basskisser" wrote in message
oups.com...

Calif Bill wrote:
"basskisser" wrote in message
oups.com...

Bill Kearney wrote:
I drink my tap water every day! It has the same chlorine as bleach
has
in it.

Err, no it doesn't and certainly in nowhere near the same
concentration.
But hey, go ahead and give drinking it a try.

Are you REALLY trying to say that my county water doesn't have chlorine
in it??? Really, now, are you?

He
http://www.c3.org/chlorines_everyday_uses/before.html

Which, in part states:
Just as water is essential to life, chlorine is essential to safe
water. Public health officials overwhelmingly agree:

In a 1992 survey of public health officials, 92 percent agreed that
chlorine is crucial to eliminating waterborne diseases, and 87 percent
said they view chlorine as the safest way to assure quality drinking
water.
Experts also agree that chlorine's introduction early this century into
the U.S. drinking water supply is one of history's great public health
advances. Safe, chlorinated water has played a key role in:
a 50 percent-plus increase in life expectancy, from about 45 years in
the early 1900s to about 76 years at present;
a dramatic decline in infant mortality rates; and

the virtual elimination of cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery and
gastroenteritis, as well as many other waterborne diseases which once
killed tens of thousands of Americans.

Or this:
A Water Treatment Primer

Water treatment practices vary in the United States, but there are
generally accepted basic techniques. Source water quality predicates
the kind of treatment required to provide safe water. Therefore,
protecting source water quality is a primary goal.

The treatment choice depends on a number of factors that are site
specific and for which adjustments must be made depending on raw water
quality. Source water quality and turbidity (particulate matter)
levels, water temperature and pH level, and incidence of pathogenic
contaminants must be taken into account for treatment decision making.

Conventional, sequential water treatment for surface water proceeds as
follows: watershed protection program; pretreatment employing
flocculation and sedimentation to remove turbidity, as well as the
organic precursors that form by-products; filtration; disinfection at
an appropriate concentration (C) for a prescribed time (T) (CT
criteria) to destroy harmful organisms; and the addition of chlorine to
maintain residual disinfection throughout the distribution system.
There may also be a need for prechlorination or rechlorination during
storage and/or distribution to ensure that an appropriate residual is
maintained throughout the system.


Table 1. Disinfection Practices in the USA

Disinfectant
Percentage*

Chlorine gas
87.0

No ammonia
67.0

Ammonia added
20.0

Chlorine & hypochlorite
4.5

Chlorine & chlorine dioxide
3.0

Chlorine & chlorine dioxide & ammonia nitrogen
1.5

Hypochlorite
1.5

Chlorine & hypochlorite & ammonia nitrogen
0.75

Chlorine & chlorine dioxide & hypochlorite
0.37

98.6% use chlorine-based disinfectants

Ozone
0.37

Other
0.75

* Percentage of facilities that disinfect
Source: 1989-1990 AWWA Disinfection Committee Survey of Disinfection
Practices

Primary disinfection provides the appropriate CT to inactivate
microbial pathogens. Disinfectants proven effective for this purpose
include free chlorine, chlorine dioxide and ozone. Secondary
disinfection ensures residual protection to control microorganism
regrowth or recontamination during water storage and distribution.
Either free chlorine or chlorine plus the addition of ammonia to form
chloramine accomplishes this task. Because ozone quickly decomposes in
water, a chlorine-based disinfectant must be added prior to
distribution to provide this second level of protection.

Need some more? Just let me know!
By the way, I keep my pool chlorine level at 3 ppm, my drinking water
here tests at 2 ppm


Chlorine is not required for safe water. Fact is leaves some nasties at
times. Other ways to sanitize water. Bromine, ionization.

Bromine is the WORST pool sanitizer. Yes, it sanitizes well, but leaves
all sorts of problems in it's wake. The ONLY thing that using chlorine
in a pool leaves in terms of "nasties" is chloramines, which are easily
taken care of by shocking or super chlorinating. A lot of people are
duped by their pool supply store, whos only goal is to sell you
products you don't need. Check this out:
http://www.poolsolutions.com

And here's the dope on the bad of Bromine:
I too would be very interested in the answer. You will probably find
it is either liquid bromine or bromine sticks - ie
(Bromochlorodimethylhydantoin - I hope you got all that! BCDMH for
short). In England a few public municipal pools used to operate on
liquid bromine, but to the best of my knowledge they have all now
changed back to chlorine. Bromine sticks are mostly used in
commercial pools (schools, hotels, holiday parks) and privately owned
swimming pools. When reacted with water the BCDMH dissociates into
hypochlorous acid, hypobromous acid and dimethylhydantoin. The first
two are responsible for sanitising the water (primarily the
hypobromous acid). The potentially scarey guy is dimethylhydantoin
which can accumulate to quite high levels. There is no field test for
it - it can only be measured in a lab, so most pools go on regardless,
oblivious of the level in the water. The toxicity of
dimethylhydantoin has not been studied - and that's quite enough to
put me off even before we get to skin rashes


We are talking of drinking water. Pools are a different entity. And
chloramines are a nasty in drinking water.

Look he
http://www.lenntech.com/water-disinf...ts-bromine.htm
Notice the first sentence:

Bromine
Bromine can be used for the disinfection of swimming pool and cooling
tower water. It is not used for the disinfection of drinking water.

And he
http://www.wqa.org/sitelogic.cfm?ID=470

Bromine and Iodine Feed
A relatively new method of disinfection involves adding iodine or
bromine to water to destroy unwanted organic species. Both iodination
and bromination have been proven effective in controlling most
disease-producing bacteria, even with relatively short contact time.
These methods have been used successfully for disinfection of swimming
pools, but bromine is not recommended for drinking water.

Then go here, the EPA website
http://www.epa.gov/athens/research/p...kingwater.html
Which states in part:
What is a DBP? A drinking water disinfection by-product (DBP) is
formed when the chemical used for disinfecting the drinking water
reacts with natural organic matter and/or bromide/iodide in the source
water. Popular disinfectants include chlorine, ozone, chlorine
dioxide, and chloramine. Source waters include rivers, lakes, streams,
groundwater, and sometimes seawater. We have only known about DBPs
since 1974, when chloroform was identified by Rook as a DBP resulting
from the chlorination of tap water. Since then, hundreds of DBPs have
been identified in drinking water.

So, according to the EPA Bromine DOES produce those "nasties" you were
talking about....


Now, show me some data from a municipal water supply that uses Bromine
as a disinfectant.