What is one primary goal of water disinfection?

One primary goal of water disinfection is to eliminate harmful pathogens. Disinfection processes are essential in ensuring that drinking water is safe for human consumption. Pathogens, which include bacteria, viruses, and protozoa, can cause serious health risks if present in drinking water. Through various disinfection methods such as chlorination, ultraviolet light treatment, or ozonation, water treatment facilities aim to destroy or inactivate these dangerous microorganisms, thereby reducing the risk of waterborne diseases and ensuring public health safety.

While the other options may relate to water treatment or quality, they do not align with the primary purpose of disinfection. For example, removing chlorine from the water is not a disinfection goal but rather a potential follow-up step in treating water that has already been disinfected. Enabling water recycling is concerned more with resource management than directly with disinfection processes. Reducing water hardness pertains to the removal of minerals like calcium and magnesium and is not a direct aim of disinfection. Thus, the focus on eliminating harmful pathogens reflects the core aim of ensuring that water is safe for use and consumption.