Question: Doesn't chlorine cause cancer? Why is it in our tap water?

"Doesn't chlorine cause cancer? Why is it in our tap water?" - Marg in Maryland. 

"Chlorine has not been classified as a human carcinogen by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, when chlorine reacts with organic matter in water, it can produce byproducts such as trihalomethanes (THMs), some of which have been classified as probable human carcinogens. These by-products are highly carcinogenic even in small amounts."

So, chlorine itself doesn't cause cancer, but since it's in our tap water, it throws off chemicals that do. So, why do we tolerate this danger? Because untreated water is itself very dangerous. We would die young of some waterborne disease if the water weren't treated with chlorine. So, we accept the possibility of dying of cancer later in life rather than dying young from something in the water. 

No, we can't use some other chemical or filtering method because of the cost. We people just aren't worth the expense. And we'll get cancer and die more often than not after our most productive years, so we will have already fulfilled our purpose of enriching our corporations and billionaires. Plus, the sooner we die after our producing and consuming years, the less we cost in things like Social Security and Medicare. So, Win-Win! Yay US!!