History

Ancient Roman Empire waste collection in streets

- use of water to wash waste through open sewers
Early 1800s start of sewer construction in London
1843 1st sewer system in Hamburg, Germany officially designed by Lindley, a British engineer
17th Century (1800s) household wastewater management in Colonial America made of privy (toilet) with outlet
constructed at ground level which discharged outside to a cesspool or sewer
- as population increased, engineered wastewater system was needed in large cities
- scientists saw correlation between disease outbreaks and contamination of drinking water from
wastewater
1841 Thomas Clark of England patented lime process for removal of carbonate (temporary) hardness of water
- Porter followed, developing soda ash use to remove noncarbonate (permanent) hardness of water
1850s
Chicago comprehensive sewer system used to transport untreated wastewater outside of residential community to
stream or river
- dilution with stream water was primary means of pollutant reduction (water-carriage sewer system)
London planning and development of water-carriage sewer system
- in 1848 and 1854, cholera epidemic struck London, which caused 25,000 deaths
Dr. John Snow 1st doctor at the time to establish connection between cholera outbreak and contaminated water
supplied by Broad St. public well
- showed statistically that cholera victims got drinking water from sewage-contaminated part of
Thames river while those who werent sick got it from uncontaminated part
1855 British Parliament passed an act to improve waste management system of London, which led to
deevelopment of comprehensive water-carriage sewer system designed by Joseph Bazalgette
beginning of 20th Century settling tanks (primary treatment) were used in sewage treatment plant to remove
suspended particles from wastewater before discharging it to streams and rivers
early 1900s 1st trickling filter constructed in Madison, Wisconson which provided biological (secondary) wastewater
treatment
1906 Robert Gans, German chemist, applied zeolites to commercial use for water-softening
- Karl Imhoff, German engineer, developed Imhoff tank for solids separation and further treatment of
wastewater
1916 1st activated sludge process made in San Marcos, Texas
1930s water-softening included as municipal water supply treatment