Do you know that Philadelphia’s water department was the first (1801) in America to supply an entire city with drinking water?

Water facts, water history, water resources: all the controversy about the environmental impacts of natural-gas drilling, as mentioned in previous entries, has me thinking about the local management history of one of our most precious, in-demand, and easily contaminated resources. While we may not be living directly on top of active natural-gas sites here in Philadelphia, the question posed above reflects the fact that the city has been juggling water-related issues for centuries. 

In fact, just recently I came across this research report by the Philadelphia Global Water Initiative on the history of Philadelphia’s water supply and sanitation systems. The report touches on the water governance struggles from the 18th to the 20th century, from widespread typhoid outbreaks in the 1880s and the introduction of chlorine to the treatment process  (along with the subsequent increase in production waste) in 1913 to the long-overdue construction of three sewage-treatment plants/sewers in the 1950s. The report also points to:

• the links between water sanitation and public-health issues,
• the battle between water shortages and economic development,
• progress delays owing to ineffective political or institutional leadership, and
• the crises that occur when governance tactics select short-term solutions over the more sustainable (and expensive) options.

In my exploration of local water systems I also ran across Philly H2O, a database that briefly compiles a history of watersheds and sewers through the work of a Philadelphia Water Department historical consultant. The site is complete with maps, drawings, and surveys, both past and present, that elucidate how the city has changed over the past few hundred years to accommodate changing water and public-health needs. More formally, the Water Department also has a historical collection (online catalogue) for those interested in discovering more about the city’s breakthroughs over time.

Ultimately, these perspectives and innovations across history are interesting to me in light of current work to lessen the number of people (globally) without access to clean, safe water. The demand for clean water is increasing, and already there are significant numbers without access: how can we keep up with the demand without compromising the supply for future generations? This question will be one of the many posed during the Annual Meeting & Exposition of the American Public Health Association (APHA), held this November in Philadelphia, with the subject “Water and Public Health.” 

Are you interested in finding out more about your current water supply? Check the Water Department facts for more information: http://www.phila.gov/water/Fact_Sheets.html.

Image via Flikr user mzarro.