The stability of drinking water distribution systems and the management of disinfection by-products are critical to ensuring public health safety. In this paper, the interrelationships between corrosion products in the network, microbes, and drinking water quality are elucidated. This review also discusses the mechanisms through which corrosive by-products from the piping network influence the decay of disinfectants and the formation of harmful disinfection by-products. Factors such as copper corrosion by-products, CuO, Cu2O, and Cu2+ play a significant role in accelerating disinfectant decay and catalyzing the production of by-products. Biofilms on pipe walls react with residual chlorine, leading to the formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs) that also amplify health risks. Finally, this paper finally highlights the potential of peroxymonosulfate (PMS), an industrial oxidant, as a disinfectant that can reduce DBP formation, while acknowledging the risks associated with its corrosive nature. Overall, the impact of the corrosive by-products of pipe scale and microbial communities on water quality in pipe networks is discussed, and recommendations for removing DBPs are presented.
Keywords: biofilm interactions; corrosion products; disinfection by-products; drinking water distribution systems; water quality.