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CPHEEO Calculator

Chlorine Dose Calculator — Gas · Bleaching Powder · NaOCl

Daily chlorine requirement in all three common forms + contact tank sizing + CT value per CPHEEO Chapter 9.

📘 Read the full CPHEEO Chapter →

Disinfection is non-negotiable in Indian water supply — the single most important step for protecting consumers from waterborne disease. Chlorination is the standard method, but the form of chlorine used depends on scale: large WTPs use chlorine gas (most economical); medium plants use sodium hypochlorite solution (safer); small/rural schemes use bleaching powder (calcium hypochlorite — cheap and easy to handle).

This calculator converts a single chlorine dose (mg/L) into the required daily quantity of whichever form you're using. It also computes the contact tank volume needed to achieve the minimum 30-minute contact time per CPHEEO and gives the CT (concentration × time) value for comparison against WHO thresholds (≥ 15 for E. coli, ≥ 30 for viruses, ≥ 100+ for Cryptosporidium).

Based on the CPHEEO Manual on Water Supply and Treatment, published by the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India.

What this calculator computes

  • Chlorine (gas) required in kg/day — equivalent to MLD × dose in mg/L
  • Bleaching powder (calcium hypochlorite) in kg/day, adjusted for available chlorine %
  • Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) solution in L/day, at any specified strength
  • Contact tank volume (m³) sized for the minimum contact time
  • CT value delivered — benchmark against pathogen-specific minimums

Calculator

Chlorine Dose — Gas · Bleaching Powder · NaOCl

Compute daily chlorine requirement for any plant capacity and convert to the three common chlorine forms used in Indian water supply.

Inputs
FlowMLD
Chlorine dosemg/L
Demand 0.5-1.5 mg/L + Residual 0.5-1.0 mg/L
Bleaching powder strength%
Available chlorine; 30-35% standard
NaOCl solution strength%
5% typical field-diluted, 10% commercial bulk
Contact timemin
Outputs
Chlorine (gas) required
20.00kg/day
kg/day = MLD × dose(mg/L)
Bleaching powder required
66.67kg/day
kg/day = Cl₂ / (strength%/100)
NaOCl solution required
400.00L/day
L/day = Cl₂ / (strength% × 10) [10 g/L per 1% approx]
Contact tank volume
57.9
V = Q × t / 60
Ensures minimum 30 min contact time
CT value (residual × time)
18.0mg.min/L
CT = residual × contact (residual ≈ dose × 0.3 after demand satisfied)
Target ≥ 15 for E.coli, ≥ 30 for virus
CPHEEO Reference Values
Dose typical1.0 – 2.5 mg/L
Residual at WTP outlet0.5 – 1.0 mg/L
Residual at consumer0.2 – 0.5 mg/L
Contact time minimum30 min
Bleaching powder strength30 – 35% available Cl
Download the Excel version to keep a local copy with live formulas — change inputs in the sheet and outputs recompute automatically.

How to use the inputs

  • Enter flow in MLD (million litres per day)
  • Chlorine dose: typically 1.0-2.5 mg/L — = chlorine demand (0.5-1.5) + required residual (0.5-1.0 at WTP)
  • Bleaching powder strength: 30% is standard; 35% is high-grade; verify on the bag
  • NaOCl strength: 5% typical for field-diluted; 10% for commercial bulk liquid delivery
  • Contact time: 30 minutes minimum per CPHEEO; 60 minutes for high-pathogen raw water

Worked example

Worked example — rural piped scheme
1 MLD rural scheme, chlorine dose 2 mg/L (demand 1.0 + residual 1.0), using bleaching powder at 30% available chlorine. Chlorine required = 1 × 2 = 2 kg/day. Bleaching powder = 2 / 0.30 = 6.7 kg/day. Prepare fresh solution daily (bleaching powder solution is unstable beyond 24 hours). Contact tank volume = (1 × 10⁶ / 86400) × 30/60 / 1000 ≈ 6 m³. CT value = 0.3 × 2 × 30 = 18 — meets the 15 threshold for E. coli. For WHO Cryptosporidium threshold, you'd need UV or ozone.

Interpreting the results

Daily chlorine mass drives procurement. For chlorine gas, you'll see consumption in kg/day mapped to the number of 100 kg cylinders per week. For bleaching powder, daily kg drives the storage shelf life (bleaching powder degrades 5-10% per month in tropical heat). For sodium hypochlorite, daily L drives the tanker delivery frequency.

Contact tank volume is often larger than expected — a 10 MLD plant needs ~200 m³ of contact tank (10,000 m³/day × 30/60/60 min × 60 min). This is why WTPs have dedicated contact tanks, not just clear water reservoirs.

FAQs — using this calculator

Which chlorine form should I use?
Scale-dependent. Chlorine gas: WTPs ≥ 5 MLD (most economical per kg of chlorine, requires safety infrastructure and CPCB license). Sodium hypochlorite: 1-5 MLD (safer, no gas handling). Bleaching powder: < 1 MLD or rural schemes (cheapest capital, prepare solution daily, some free-chlorine loss in storage). On-site hypochlorite generation from salt brine is emerging for schemes that want zero chlorine transport.
How much residual chlorine should I target?
0.5-1.0 mg/L at WTP outlet, degrading to 0.2-0.5 mg/L at the farthest consumer tap. This ensures protection during distribution even with biofilm or minor ingress. IS 10500:2012 minimum is 0.2 at consumer point. Add 0.3-0.5 mg/L buffer on top of required residual when setting the dose.
What if my bleaching powder is only 25% available chlorine?
Adjust the strength input — the calculator automatically scales. For 25% instead of 30%, daily bleaching powder jumps 20%. Poor-quality bleaching powder (less than 25%) is common in rural procurement — verify on receipt, or prefer NaOCl where transport is feasible.
Is 30-minute contact time always enough?
For routine chlorination at 0.5 mg/L residual, 30 minutes gives CT = 15 mg.min/L which inactivates E. coli and most coliform bacteria. Viruses need CT ≥ 30 (achievable with higher dose or longer contact). Cryptosporidium needs CT ≥ 7000 with chlorine — practically not achievable; use UV (CT ≥ 12 with chlorine-resistant pathogens) or ozone as primary disinfection.
Can I pre-chlorinate raw water at the intake?
Yes — sometimes done to control algae, iron, manganese, or organic matter before treatment. But pre-chlorination plus organic matter forms trihalomethanes (THMs). Best practice: remove organics via coagulation first, then chlorinate. If pre-chlorination is needed, keep the dose below 1 mg/L and monitor THMs.
How much chlorine does a typical Indian city consume per year?
A 100 MLD city at 2 mg/L dose = 200 kg/day = 73 tonnes/year of chlorine (gas equivalent). That's 73,000 kg/year × ~₹70/kg = ₹51 lakh/year for a single city. Chlorine is one of the largest consumables in urban water supply.

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