A protocol for determining the chlorine demand of organic compounds was developed and tested. Organics were reacted with chlorine at mole ratios of 1:05, 1:1, and 1:3 at pH values of 6, 7, and 8 over a one week period. Compounds tested were drawn mainly from the EPA Register of Organic Pollutants in water list and the Priority Pollutants list. Over two hundred compounds were tested and showed a wide range of reactivity. Some compounds reacted with chlorine completely within 60 min. Others required 1-3 days. Others displayed no chlorine demand over a week's period. Amino acids, organic sulfur compounds, pyrroles, prolines, phenolics, indoles, and most primary amines were very reactive exerting over 90% chlorine demand within sixty minutes. Imide structures, secondary amines and pyrimidines were generally moderately active, (1-3 days to react). Compounds displaying little or no reactivity as measured in these tests include alcohols, nitroso compounds, pyridines, ethers, organic acids, ketones, napthelens, alkanes, chlorinated pesticides and quinolines. Xanthines, purines, and amides varied in their reactivity depending upon other functional groups in the structure.