Chlorine

Chlorine is added to water to kill microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, etc.)

Chlorine is a strong oxidizing agent that will react with organics and many other water contaminants

Symptoms of Chlorine Include:

• odor and chemical taste

Treatment for Chlorine:

Carbon filters are effective at removing chlorine from the water.

further reading

Chlorine is regulated as a primary contaminant by the EPA with a maximum limit of 4.0 PPM. Most municipalities maintain a chlorine residual between 0.5 and 2.0 PPM to ensure adequate secondary disinfection of the distribution system.
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‍‍Chlorine has been the primary disinfectant for drinking water in the U.S. since 1908 based on its high bactericide efficacy and capacity to maintain secondary disinfection.
 
Disinfection byproducts (DBT's), formed when chlorine reacts with organic compounds in the water, are regulated as primary contaminants by the EPA. Due to this, most municipalities have designed their treatment facilities to remove as many organic compounds as possible prior to the addition of chlorine to minimize the formation of these byproducts.