History of water filtration

As we float in our pools, soak in baths and drink cool fresh water, it is easy to take water filtration for granted. Believe it or not, the technology for water filtration is not a new concept!

The earliest records of water filtration and purification date back to 2000 B.C. where Sanskrit (India) and Greek writings outlined the desire for better tasting water. Although nothing was known about micro organisms that caused disease, it was assumed that good tasting water was clean. Filtration consisted of boiling water, placing hot metal instruments
in the water, or straining it through sand, gravel and charcoal filters. Around 1500 BC, the Egyptians discovered the principle of coagulation and applied the chemical alum for suspended particle settlement. Pictures of this technique were found in the tombs of Amenophis II and Ramses II.

The Ancient Greeks and Romans used a variety of methods to improve the quality of water including settling basins; pools that would slow water coming from aqueducts and allow impurities to settle on the bottom. Occasionally the water would have to be shut off and slaves would climb down a 30’ - 50’ shaft to the bottom and shovel out impurities that would be hauled to the top in buckets. Around 500 BC Hippocrates invented the ‘Hippocratic Sleeve’ a cloth bag which trapped sediments that caused bad tastes and odors.

After the collapse of Roman civilization and the destruction of many aqueducts during invasions and for building purposes, water filtration theory had been largely forgotten. During the Middle Ages (500-1500 AD), water supplies came from wells, rivers and streams. Also know as the Dark Ages because of the lack of scientific innovations and experiments, horror stories of the black plague and other diseases transmitted through drinking water strike fear into the hearts of anyone familiar with basic history.

The Renaissance period, (1300 - 1600), sparked a new period of scientific research, including the invention of the first microscope in 1590. Around 1627, Sir Francis Bacon tried his hand at sea-water desalination (with no luck). However, this inspired scientists to experiment with water filtration technology. In the late 1600s, an advanced microscope was
developed which allowed scientists to view particles in water that had been presumed to be clean. The 1700s brought the first water filters used for domestic application and were made of wool, sponge and charcoal.

In 1804 the first municipal water treatment plant was built in Scotland and was based on slow sand filtration. Three years later, water pipes provided safe drinking water to residents. Without question, this was a milestone in the history of water filtration and distribution!

During the cholera epidemic of 1854, British scientist John Snow found that it was less severe in areas where sand filters were installed and that the direct cause of the outbreak was water pump contamination by sewage water. By applying chlorine to purify the water, he paved the future for water disinfection.

Temple and reflecting pool built in 1934 as a monument to the creation of the aqueduct that brings drinking water across California to San Francisco.

In 1974 the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was passed under the belief that every person in the developed world had the right to safe drinking water. By 1985, every city in the U.S. was required to install a water treatment plant, and under stringent demands, water quality began to improve. As a result of the success with modern water filtration techniques, todays pool owners have access to some of the best water filtration systems ever developed in the history of mankind.

And that’s it for your history lesson. Now you can impress your friends and family with what you’ve just learned!