Themes in American History

Although cities such as New York and Cleveland could boast of hundreds of miles of sewer pipe as early as the 1890s, most cities simply dumped their collected sewage into downstream waterways. In the first decade of the twentieth century many cities still provided unfiltered water that was unfit to drink. Between 1900 and 1910 many cities added sand filters and chlorination devices to their water systems resulting in a marked reduction in disease. The extensive water systems of American cities permitted widespread installation of flush toilets and bathtubs in American homes at the beginning of the twentieth century. Provision of such admirable municipal systems led outlying areas to seek annexation by central cities to obtain these services.

For example, New York City and Los Angeles began the water supply system around the same period of time in the 20^th century. The first Los Angeles aqueduct system was under construction in 1908. The Catskill Aqueduct, part of the New York City water supply system began in 1907. Also, Later improvements in sewer and water systems during the Great Depression and after the Second World War, combined with the application of effective filtration and chemical treatment systems, led to America’s reputation for having the safest public water supply systems in the world.

Tags: 20th Century, Los Angeles, New York City, water

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