Siemens Water Technologies marks 100 years of chlorination water disinfection

ALPHARETTA, GA. — Siemens Water Technologies is marking a century of industry innovation and leadership with the 100-year anniversary of the first chlorine gas metering unit for water disinfection, a milestone breakthrough in the fight against waterborne disease. The first commercially-produced gas chlorinator installed in a public drinking water system in 1913 by Wallace & Tiernan, now a Siemens Water Technologies company, revolutionized the way the world fought water-borne diseases, which killed nearly 30,000 people per year in the 1900s in the United States alone.

The technology soon expanded globally. Chlorination is used throughout a range of operations, including waterworks, swimming pools, power generation, sewage treatment, food processing, and industrial applications.

In addition to chlorination solutions by chlorine gas, hypochlorite, or chlorine dioxide, Siemens also provides membrane treatment, high-rate clarification, disinfection by-product (DBP) treatment and controls technologies as well as technical expertise to help consulting engineers, municipalities, and industries clean and purify water.

Siemens Water Technologies’ commitment to innovation and industry leadership continues through its research and development focused on ultrapure water and drinking water, waste reduction, energy and process efficiency, desalination, and water reuse. Among the current R&D initiatives underway are an advanced desalination technology to greatly increase energy efficiency. The company holds more than 1,800 granted patents and patent applications.

“The use of chlorine in water treatment has arguably done more to safeguard the health of the world than any other development,” said Dr. Lukas Loeffler, Siemens Water Technologies CEO. “To this day, chlorination in general is still the most widely used disinfection method internationally and we continue to develop it and other water and wastewater treatment technologies to ensure safe drinking water, clean process water for industry and a healthy environment.”