Drinking water in New York City pre-1830's contained cholera, a bacteria in unsafe drinking water, which causes diarrhea and death
If you are reading this, you are probably in the 1-5% of the world that has adequate drinkable water. Coming to New York City for school, we have the best drinkable tap water in the nation, if not the world. We usually take this for granted, forgetting the lost souls that helped make this possible and the people fighting to make it possible for themselves and the generations surpassing them.
In the 1830’s, New York City faced a major issue, the water in New York City wasn’t drinkable. At the time, many people were getting there water from wells, which they dug either themselves or together with others to get water from underground. Keep in mind that this was the 1830’s and that they didn’t have the necesary technology to drill deep into the ground. The result was chemical well water. The industries and businesses which accompanied New York City began to pollute the well water. It got so bad that “in 1830, there was one death per 39 inhabitants” (Homberger 82).
However, with problems comes change. In 1837, damns and pipes were being built to bring drinkable water to New York City. A dam was built at the head of the Croton River and the water was then sent 150 miles to New York. The effect was great. The mortality rate decreased. However, this was not the only consequence. People ceased drinking well water, so the ground became so saturated that floods became eminent, flooding cellars. The lower-class couldn’t afford cellars, but the upper-class could afford big ones. The result was the building the the sewer system. Yes, thats right, the sewer system you see in New York City is for rain water; it is not for feces and urine!
I agree that New York residents and leaders not realized serious problems until the confirmed death toll from the ill-water. In early 1700s New Yorkers did not drink water straight from wells. To most New Yorkers, water was not a beverage. The water they drank were boiled and mixed with other ingredients, especially with alcohol.
I agree that most of us nowadays take “clean water” for granted. Because we’ve never experienced a lack of, we think that it’s the basic necessity that everyone has. But I feel like this will always seems to be a pattern, whether or not present day or back in the 1800s.
I agree with your post entirely. All of these readings highlight the necessities of running a healthy and safe city, and this is definitely one of them. Not only is making drinking water available a vital aspect of urban success, but also making available for EVERYONE is the key. As Homberger stated in his piece, when irrigation technologies first began sprouting in cities, only the rich and fortunate were able to access “clean” water. This posed a huge problem for the city because most of the general population was well under the poverty line. We definitely take clean water for granted in this day and age. Whether it is a drinking fountain on every floor of Baruch College, or a vending machine on every street corner, healthy, clean water is readily available at all times. Just imagine if finding water to drink or shower with was your biggest concern. Things would be very different.