Flow cytometry (FCM), combined with staining using two fluorochromes (propidium iodide, PI, or SYBR Green II RNA gel stain, SYBR-II), was used to assess nucleic acid injuries to chlorinated drinking water bacteria. Highly fluorescent SYBR-II-stained bacteria were converted to bacteria with low fluorescence after chlorination. PI staining of bacteria exposed to different doses of chlorine showed membrane permeabilisation ([Cl2] < 0.2 mg L(-1)) and nucleic acid damage at higher doses ([Cl2] > 0.3 mg L(-1)). Above a threshold dose (between 1.5 and 3 mg Cl2 L(-1)), nucleic acids appeared severely damaged and incapable of being stained by PI or SYBR-II. These results constitute evidence that FCM is a promising tool for assessing drinking water bacteria injuries and for controlling chlorine disinfection efficiency much more rapidly than the standard sensitive but time-consuming heterotrophic plate count method.