How much liquid bleach should be used to treat 1000 gallons of bacteria-contaminated water for drinking?

To effectively treat 1000 gallons of bacteria-contaminated water for drinking, a small amount of bleach is required to ensure safe consumption without harmful effects. The generally recommended dosage for treating water is approximately 2 to 4 drops of unscented liquid household bleach per quart of water. When scaled up to 1000 gallons, this translates to roughly 1 pint.

When using bleach for water treatment, it's crucial to use the correct concentration, which is typically around 5 to 6% sodium hypochlorite for household bleach. At this concentration, adding about 1 pint of bleach to 1000 gallons will effectively disinfect the water, effectively killing harmful bacteria while leaving a safe residual chlorine level for disinfection.

This precise dosage helps to ensure that the disinfection process is effective without introducing an excessive amount of chlorine, which can create unpleasant tastes and odors or might even be harmful in larger quantities.