Overview

Of all the conveniences of modern life, the availability of fresh, clean drinking water is perhaps the one taken most for granted. This luxury, however, was only realized around the turn of the twentieth century. In the nineteenth century, the average person in London might find tiny shrimp-like animals or putrid deposits in the drinking water. In Belgium, the water was often yellow and had an unpleasant odor. In 1844, only about 10% of the water from city fountains in Paris was potable. In Germany, the drinking water was brown and foul. In New York, residents complained about paying too much for their impure water. People all around the world were dying of diseases such as cholera and typhoid...