The first real concern with water pollution came about in the late 19th century. Then, the industrial Revolution at the time brought about an immense growth of towns and cities which resulted in urbanization. The common practice then and which is still seen in many indigenous regions of the developing world like Africa and Asia, was to dump sewage into the nearest stream, and this subsequently turned many rivers into cesspools. Thus, much of the cities’ and towns’ water were drawn from these same rivers and this resulted in great epidemics of cholera, typhoid and other water borne diseases.
London’s history provides a classic example. The sewage level turned the River Thames into a mass of filth, and twenty thousand Londoners died of cholera outbreaks in 1849 and 1853 respectively. Also, at the same time, typhoid epidemics hit many cities in the United States. Circumstantial evidence indicated that these were transmitted through polluted drinking water. But there was no real understanding of how this happened and also happens until the 1880’s, when scientists made major discoveries about the role of bacteria in many diseases. However, this new knowledge marked the beginning of sewage disposal technology. London built large sewers that ran parallel to the River Thames, diverting the sewage into the river far downstream from the city. This was the pioneering sewage disposal project which foreshadowed the principle that would prevail for years. The adage was: ‘get the stuff away from our cities and don’t worry about downstream’.
The emphasis on public health and lack of concern with anything but local contamination characterized the public’s approach to water pollution until the late 1960’s. Industrial pollution was not regarded as s serious threat to the immediate environment, and it was virtually taken for granted that the rivers and lakes were the most logical places to dump industrial wastes. State game commissions in the United States, occasionally fired factories that killed large number of fish, but general decline of water quality wasn’t regarded as important and was tacitly accepted.
Now, in recent times, however, people all over have become overly concerned about the state and condition of surface waters. This concern has been born out of the need and has grown partly as a result of an increasing interest in outdoor life, and an appreciation of clear streams, rivers and lakes. Yet most of the concern stems from the fact that clean water is essential for drinking, industry, agriculture and recreation.
London’s history provides a classic example. The sewage level turned the River Thames into a mass of filth, and twenty thousand Londoners died of cholera outbreaks in 1849 and 1853 respectively. Also, at the same time, typhoid epidemics hit many cities in the United States. Circumstantial evidence indicated that these were transmitted through polluted drinking water. But there was no real understanding of how this happened and also happens until the 1880’s, when scientists made major discoveries about the role of bacteria in many diseases. However, this new knowledge marked the beginning of sewage disposal technology. London built large sewers that ran parallel to the River Thames, diverting the sewage into the river far downstream from the city. This was the pioneering sewage disposal project which foreshadowed the principle that would prevail for years. The adage was: ‘get the stuff away from our cities and don’t worry about downstream’.
The emphasis on public health and lack of concern with anything but local contamination characterized the public’s approach to water pollution until the late 1960’s. Industrial pollution was not regarded as s serious threat to the immediate environment, and it was virtually taken for granted that the rivers and lakes were the most logical places to dump industrial wastes. State game commissions in the United States, occasionally fired factories that killed large number of fish, but general decline of water quality wasn’t regarded as important and was tacitly accepted.
Now, in recent times, however, people all over have become overly concerned about the state and condition of surface waters. This concern has been born out of the need and has grown partly as a result of an increasing interest in outdoor life, and an appreciation of clear streams, rivers and lakes. Yet most of the concern stems from the fact that clean water is essential for drinking, industry, agriculture and recreation.
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