Our News

**Historical Development of Water Supply and Sanitation**:
– Neolithic humans dug first permanent water wells around 8500 BCE.
– Skara Brae and Barnhouse Settlement had early indoor fresh and wastewater systems.
– Mesopotamians introduced clay sewer pipes around 4000 BCE.
– Romans had indoor plumbing with lead pipes.
– Minoan civilization in Crete had advanced underground clay pipes for sanitation.
– Islamic cities had sophisticated water supply systems and interconnected sewer networks.

**Innovations in Water Supply and Sanitation Systems**:
– Mayans used indoor plumbing with pressurized water.
– Ancient Chinese used deep drilled groundwater wells.
– Romans built the Cloaca Maxima in Rome.
– Sir John Harington invented the flush toilet in the 16th century.
– Modern piped water systems started in Nepal in the late 19th century.
– Joseph Bazalgette designed an extensive underground sewerage system for London.

**Global Impact of Water Reuse and Sanitation Practices**:
– Mesopotamians reused domestic wastewater for irrigation.
– Land application of wastewater was common in Hellenic and Roman civilizations.
– Bronze Age civilizations like Indus Valley reused wastewater.
– Post-classical Kilwa had plumbing in stone homes.
– Sewage farms operated in various cities for irrigation.
– Efforts to stop polluting rivers due to industrialization led to modern sewerage systems.

**Technological Advancements in Water Treatment**:
– Sand filters for water purification were first used in 1804.
– First treated public water supply was in London in 1829.
– Water treatment became mainstream after the 1854 cholera outbreak.
– Screw-down water tap patented in 1845.
– Large-scale reservoirs were built in response to cholera threats.
– Paris developed large-scale water supply and wastewater management systems.

**Notable Sanitation Projects and Engineers**:
– Joseph Bazalgette’s sewer system in London diverted waste to the Thames Estuary.
– James Newlands improved public health in Liverpool with over 144 miles of new sewers.
– Napoleon’s Ourcq canal and Eugene Belgrand’s aqueducts improved Paris’s sanitation.
– Ancient sewer systems were found in Harappa and Mohenjo-daro.
– Efforts to create modern sewerage systems in the UK cities post the Great Stink of 1858.
– Various UK cities faced sanitation challenges similar to London before modern sewerage systems were implemented.