CHLORINATION

Chlorination Curve
What happens when chlorine is added to
water?
A chlorination curve will help describe what
happens during this process

Chlorination Curve
What is a chlorination curve?
A graph of the amount of chlorine measured
in a solution versus the amount of chlorine
added

Chlorine Measured

Chlorination Curve

Chlorine Added

Chlorination Curve
Begin adding chlorine to water
Chlorine will first react to exhaust chlorine
demand in the system
Chlorine added will not be recovered in a
chlorine test

Chlorine Measured

Chlorination Curve

Chlorine Added

Chlorination Curve
Continue adding chlorine to the system
Once chlorine demand is exhausted,
additional chlorine added will be recovered in
a chlorine test

Chlorine Measured

Chlorination Curve

Chlorine Added

Chlorine Testing
Chlorine - Free & Total
DPD chlorine reagent powder pillows or
AccuVacs (EPA approved)

Pocket Colorimeter II
DR/800
DR/2800
DR/5000

CHLORAMINATION

Chloramines
Chloramines are formed when free
chlorine reacts with free ammonia present
in the water
Monochloramine (NH2Cl)
Dichloramine (NHCl2)
Trichloramine (NCl3)

Chlorine Measured

Chloramination Curve

Chlorine Added

Chloramination Curve
Begin adding chlorine to a water
containing ammonia
Initial addition of chlorine reacts to exhaust
any chlorine demand present in the water

Chlorine Measured

Chlorination Curve

Chlorine Added

Chloramination Curve
Continue to add chlorine to the water
After chlorine demand is exhausted, chlorine
reacts with ammonia to form monochloramine

HOCl + NH3 NH2Cl + H2O

Chlorination Curve
Chlorine Measured

Chloramination
I

5:1 Cl2:N Ratio

Chlorine Added

Chloramination Curve
Continue to add chlorine to the water
After complete formation of monochloramine,
monochloramine reacts with additional
chlorine to form dichloramine and nitrogen
trichloride.

HOCl + NH2Cl NHCl2 + H2O

Chloramination Curve
Continue to add chlorine to the water
As dichloramine and nitrogen trichloride form,
the addition of chlorine continues to oxidize
these compounds to nitrogen gases

Chlorination Curve
Chlorine Measured

Chloramination
I

5:1 Cl2:N Ratio

II
Breakpoint
9:1 Cl2:N Ratio

Chlorine Added

Chloramination Curve
Continue to add chlorine to the water
After the breakpoint, all chlorine added to the
water remains as free chlorine
Breakpoint chlorination

Cl2 + H2O HOCl +

OCl

Chlorination Curve
Chlorine Measured

Chloramination
I

5:1 Cl2:N Ratio

Free Chlorination
II
Breakpoint
9:1 Cl2:N Ratio

Chlorine Added

III

Chloramination Goals
Complete formation of monochloramine
(stay in section I)
3-5:1 Cl2:N optimal feed ratio

Avoid dichloramine formation

Avoid taste and odor problems

Minimize un-reacted ammonia

Control biofilm and nitrification

Chloramination Species
Free Chlorination

Chlorine Measured

Chloramination
II

Total
Chlorine

Free
Ammonia

Chlorine Added

III

Chloramination Species
Free Chlorination

Chlorine Measured

Chloramination
II

Total
Chlorine

Monochloramine

Free
Ammonia

Chlorine Added

III

Chloramination Species
Free Chlorination

Chlorine Measured

Chloramination
II

Total
Chlorine

Monochloramine

Free
Ammonia

Chlorine Added

III
Free
Chlorine

Chloramination Curve
Continue to add chlorine to the water
The point at which all dichloramine is
converted to nitrogen gas is the breakpoint.

Where Am I When
Total Chlorine = 3mg/L?
Free Chlorination

Chlorine Measured

Chloramination
I

II

Chlorine Added

III

I Am Here!
Free Chlorination

Chlorine Measured

Chloramination
I

II

Mono = Total Cl2

Free Am > 0

III
Total Cl2 > 0

Mono < Total Cl2

Mono = 0

Free Am = 0

Free Am = 0

Chlorine Added

Ammonia/Monochloramine
Relationship
Results as N

Measured, mg/L

1.2

t-NH3N

1
0.8

NH2Cl (N)

0.6
0.4

f-NH3N

0.2

Break-point

0
0

6
Chlorine Dose, mg/L

10

12