Why might chlorination fail to achieve complete pathogen kill?

Chlorination is a widely used method for disinfecting water and eliminating pathogens; however, the effectiveness of this process can be significantly influenced by how much chlorine is introduced into the system. A low chlorine feed rate means that not enough chlorine is present in the water to effectively react with and destroy all microorganisms. For chlorination to achieve its intended disinfection goal, the chlorine concentration needs to be maintained at an adequate level for the necessary contact time. If this feed rate is insufficient, some pathogens may survive because they are exposed to suboptimal levels of chlorine, which compromises the overall disinfection process. Therefore, ensuring an appropriate feed rate is crucial to achieve a complete kill of pathogens and maintain safe drinking water standards.