Assignment1
In the present day, lots of research is going on about different aspects of the environment. A lot of importance is given to the water delivery systems and wastewater systems. Such significance is given to all these research activities because history in different parts of the world has illustrated the ill effects of poor sanitary systems. The changes in water delivery systems since the 19th century in London are very significant in the history of London’s infrastructure.

One of the early significant effects of the poor water delivery system in London was the ‘Great Fire’ in September 1666, which lasted 4 days destroying two-thirds of the central, older portions of the city. The water system was not designed to control such a major fire and the carelessness of some of the people led to further spreading of the fire. After the fire, the infrastructure of the water systems in London was developed considerably. One of the mistakes was ‘Wooden and Lead’ pipes were used for the water delivery system. The dangers due to contamination of the water by lead were proven later.

In the 18th century, the introduction of water-closet in the urban areas led to production of high amounts of wastewater but proper provisions were not made for the disposal of these elevated levels of wastewater. In such highly populated areas where there are no proper disposal methods, the ‘Combined Sewer system’ proved to be highly unhygienic since the wastewater from the gutters overflowed onto the streets, sewage was piling up in every gully and alleyway, in the cellars of houses in poor districts, and even seeping through cracks in floorboards. The poor sanitation system resulted in many epidemics such as typhoid fever, cholera killing thousands of people. In the 1830s the life expectancy in the large towns was down to 29 yrs while in the small towns it was 57yrs. In the summer of 1858, the incident of ‘The Great Stink’ finally led the authorities to develop the water system in London.

Dickens describes a London rain storm in ‘Little Dorrit’:

In the country, the rain would have developed a thousand fresh scents, and every drop would have had its bright association with some beautiful form of growth or life. In the city, it developed only foul stale smells, and was a sickly, lukewarm, dirt- stained, wretched addition to the gutters.



In 1854, a London doctor named John Snow traced the cause of a cholera epidemic to a single water pump that had been contaminated by a leaking cesspool. But all the people were under the strong belief that all the diseases were air-borne, so no measures were taken to develop the wastewater systems. The Thames was polluted with huge amounts of wastewater and the summer heat encouraged bacteria to thrive releasing offensive odor. Most of the offices which were situated on the banks of the Thames had to be relocated due to the odor. The rancid odor continued the whole summer until heavy rain broke out. This incident finally made the authorities take action to develop a proper wastewater delivery system. In 1859, the chief engineer of Metropolitan Board of Works, Joseph Bazalgetter proposed a scheme which included 82 miles of sewage superhighway, linked with over 1,000 miles of street sewers, to provide an underground network beneath the city streets. His scheme clashed with the recent development of underground railways but his fervor resulted in the creation of a citywide sewer system.

Though the present sewer system in London is a lot better now, many developing countries are still facing the same problems and many diseases arise due to poor sewer system killing thousands of people.

Considering India, one of the developing countries in Asia, diseases like diarrhea, jaundice, polio and several other deadly diseases kill thousands of people every year. In Rajasthan of India, jaundice strikes occasionally and kills hundreds of people every year. The main cause of these diseases in India is drinking water in most parts of the country is contaminated with human waste. According to ‘World Health Organization’, 80% of the diseases in India are caused due to the infected water. Ironically, the early civilization (more than 4500 years ago) in India had sophisticated sewer systems but the gradual change in beliefs of the people in India led to unsanitary behavior. In the rural areas in India, less than 10% of homes have toilets. Though the middle class urban areas practice good hygiene, the huge population of slums living in narrow streets led to high public health risks. The government is trying hard to change the hygienic conditions in the cities but due to the poor education in the slums, not much development is observed. In summers, even in the urban areas, municipal water is available for less than 2 hrs a day, sometimes only once in two days. So, the water is stored in tanks and used very economically. This is very similar to many developing countries, maybe a lot better compared to many under-developed countries.

In the neighboring country China, human waste is used as a fertilizer, especially in rural areas. Though many studies have proved this as a very unhygienic process, there is one advantage of this process. The soil, due to this practice has retained its fertility for centuries. In many developed and developing countries, the soil has considerably lost its fertility but in China, the soil is as good as it was thousands of years ago. But there are many cases of deaths and illness due to this practice, so China is now revising its process of wastewater disposal.

Now, looking at the developed sewer systems in countries such as USA.

The modern water industry has progressed to such a level that there is a vast difference in the medieval London water systems and the modern water systems. Modern water supply systems get water from a variety of locations, including aquifers, lakes, rivers, wells, desalinated seawater, and other sources. The water collected from the sources is tested and appropriate treatment method is applied. The treated water is transported to the suitable location such as agricultural, industrial, household, recreational areas. The wastewater produced is again transported to the proper treatment facilities. USA has a vast system of collection sewers, pumping stations, and treatment plants. Sewers collect the wastewater from homes, businesses, and many industries, and deliver it to plants for treatment. The treatment plant is designed based on the characteristics of the wastewater.

In London, the wastewater was discharged into the Thames without any kind of treatment. The intimidating fact was that this water was again used as drinking water. The United States has one of the safest drinking water in the world. The public drinking water systems regulated by EPA, and the local government; provide drinking water to 90 percent of Americans. There were many epidemics in the old days due to the poor sanitation systems but the modern water systems in USA prevent any such dreadful diseases.

Though the modern water system is far more advanced, there are still many areas in USA and other developed countries, which need better facilities and a more advanced infrastructure. But compared to the London water system, the present system in US constitutes of a good water supply scheme and the prevention in water pollution is satisfactory.