Chapter II: Preface

No apology is necessary for the publication of a book on the chlorination of water. This method of treatment, practically unknown fifteen years ago, has advanced in popularity during the last decade in a most remarkable manner, and in 1918 over forty millions of people are being supplied with chlorinated water.

It may justifiably be said that no other sanitary measure has accomplished so much at so small a cost; and that civilization owes a deep debt of gratitude to the pioneers in municipal water chlorination: Dr. A. C. Houston in England, and Mr. G. A. Johnson and Dr. Leal in America.

In this volume I have endeavoured to collect and correlate the information hitherto scattered in various journals and treatises and to present it in a comprehensible manner. The various aspects and methods of chlorination are discussed and suggestions have been made which, I hope, will stimulate research work in this fertile field of science.

I wish to acknowledge my indebtedness to the engineering staff of the Ottawa Water Works Department and to Lieut. W. M. Bryce for the preparation of diagrams.

JOSEPH RACE.

OTTAWA, ONT.,

April, 1918.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. HISTORICAL 1

Sodium Chloride. Chlorine. Bleach. Eau de Javelle. Antiseptics.
Hermite fluid. Webster's process. Electrozone. Chlorination of
sewage in Germany, U. S. A., and England. Chlorination of
water. Lincoln installation. Oxychloride. German experiments.
European practice. Inception of chlorination in America.

II. MODUS OPERANDI 14

Composition of bleach. Bleaching action. Nascent oxygen
hypothesis. Hydrolysis of bleach. Effect of acids and salts on
hydrolysis and germicidal action. Effect of ammonia. Direct
toxic action. Hypochlorous acid. Sodium hypochlorite. Chlorine
water. Nature of action.

III. DOSAGE 30

Organic matter. Initial count. Viability of organisms. Mineral
matter. Colour. Temperature. Admixture. Contact period.
Turbidity. Light. Determination of dosage.

IV. BACTERIA SURVIVING CHLORINATION 50

Disinfectants. Antiseptics. Viability of bacteria. New York
results. Reversed ratio of counts. Coliform organisms.
Aftergrowths in water and sand.

V. COMPLAINTS 62

Auto-suggestion. Tastes and odours. Sludge problem. Colic.
Effect on fish and birds. Effect on plants and flowers.
Corrosion of iron and lead pipes.

VI. BLEACH TREATMENT 72

Storage of bleach. Mixing tanks. Storage tanks. Dosing
apparatus. Control. Analysis of liquor. Detection and
estimation of free chlorine. Chlorometer. Cost of construction
and operation. Antichlors. DeChlor filters.

VII. LIQUID CHLORINE 89

Historical. Leavitt-Jackson machine. Electro Bleaching Gas
Co.'s types. Wallace and Tiernan's manual control types.
Effect of temperature on gas pressure. Impurities in gas.
Advantages. Comparison of liquid chlorine and bleach. Cost of
treatment. Popularity. Chlorine water.

VIII. ELECTROLYTIC HYPOCHLORITES AND CHLORINE 105

Hermite fluid. Eau de Javelle. Chloros. Non-diaphragm cells:
Dayton, Hermite, Mather and Platt, Haas and Oettel. Diaphragm
cells: Hargreaves-Bird, Nelson, Allen-Moore. Montreal
installation. Costs.

IX. CHLORAMINE 115

Preparation. Absorption by water. Experimental results. Works
results. Ratio of chlorine to ammonia. Economics. Advantages.
Operation. Other chloramines. Halazone.

X. RESULTS OBTAINED 132

Object of chlorination. Effect on filter rates and algae.
Hygienic results. Typhoid rates. Typhoid reduction at
Philadelphia, Chicago, and Ottawa. Abortive epidemics. Use and
abuse of chlorination.

APPENDIX 147

Estimation of free chlorine in water.

NAME INDEX 151

SUBJECT INDEX 155

CHLORINATION OF WATER