What is one of the primary uses of chlorine in water treatment?

Chlorine is primarily used in water treatment as a disinfectant to kill harmful microorganisms, ensuring the safety and quality of drinking water. While it does have bleaching properties and can remove color, its main role is not about aesthetics but about health and safety. The use of chlorine helps to prevent waterborne diseases, making it essential in the process of treating municipal water before it is distributed for public consumption.

Chlorine's effectiveness as a disinfectant is key to its role in water treatment. It works by forming compounds with the proteins and enzymes of microorganisms, inactivating them, which significantly reduces the risk of outbreaks caused by pathogens. Although its bleaching capacity can play a role in the treatment process by improving water clarity, the primary purpose remains disinfection.

Other functions such as adding nutrients, increasing water hardness, or filtering out solids are not the primary uses of chlorine in water treatment and do not align with its chemical properties or objectives in maintaining water quality.