Disinfecting Drinking Water but theres the Chlorine Dilema?

Question

Chlorine is widely used to disinfect drinking water. But there is some evidence to link exposure to chloromethane in drinking water with a higher risk of miscarriage during pregnancy.

but the use of chlorine in drinking water is credited with saving millions of lives due to the control of waterborne infectious disease.

now how would you guys reconcile the benefits obtained from the chlorination of drinking water with the evidence of the potential for adverse effects from chlorination?

Answer 1

I've just got to mention this. When we first moved to Florida...I got a big gulp of "Sulfur Water" at a fishing camp. !! AAAGGGGHHH. Could there be anything worse?  The part of town too that we moved to only had sulfur water. We had to leave it out...open..for hours to get the smell out. It worked! Glad I wasn't pregnant then!!

Answer 2

I'm familiar with setting up aquariums, and the chlorine dissolved in most tap water can be toxic to fish. However, all you have to do is leave a container of water out in the open for a few hours and the chlorine and any associated gasses will quickly and harmlessly evaporate. If you stir the water vigorously with a spoon, all the chlorine will disappate in as little as 1/2 hour. Problem solved.

Answer 3

A lot depends on the source of the water.  Riverine water that's been through a lot of sewer plants upstream seems to have the chloromethane and trihalomethanes more abundantly than those further upstream.

Seems to me the risks of infectuous disease from untreated drinking water outweigh the risks for a few from the chloromethanes.  The few can drink bottle water if they're concerned.

Answer 4

Having enjoyed a wee bit of Dysentery when I was abroad...

Since I'm not going to get pregnant anytime soon (being a male), I'd think that the tradeoff is pretty good.

But there are alternatives to chlorine: Bromine, Ultra-violet, even ozone.