10.4122/1.1000001197
Burian, S.J.
S.J.
Burian
Edwardsn, F. G.
F. G.
Edwardsn
McPherson, T. N.
T. N.
McPherson
Development patterns of Nineteenth Century water and wastewater infrastructure in the United States
DTU Library, Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
2005
Conference presentation
Water and wastewater infrastructure
sewer history
University Of Utah, Department Of Civil
Department Of Civil
University Of Utah
University Of Arkansas, Department Of Civil Engineering
Department Of Civil Engineering
University Of Arkansas
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Systems Engineering
Systems Engineering
Los Alamos National Laboratory
2005
en
10.4122/1.1000001198
text/xml
This paper highlights the development of water supply and wastewater collection infrastructure in the United States (US) during the nineteenth century, focusing on the interrelationship between the two systems. The factors that influenced the development patterns are briefly presented and the legacy of the systems developed in the past on current and future urban water and wastewater managers is discussed. Numerous factors may be identified that guided past water and wastewater infrastructure decisions and contributed to the creation of the foundation of most modern water and wastewater infrastructure systems in major US cities. The factors this paper presents include population dynamics, water/wastewater paradigm and infrastructure technology status, status of scientific understanding, socioeconomic, institutional, climate, and physical setting. Past water and wastewater infrastructure choices have in many cases created the heart of modern systems and thus have influenced current environmental problems (e.g., combined sewer systems) and operation and management issues and will likely do so for the foreseeable future.