Bulletin Board

The New Millennium: Are We Ready For the Challenges?

Salt Lake City Public Utilities Advisory Committee Meeting of December 8, 1999

Comments by LeRoy W. Hooton, Jr.

LeRoy W. Hooton, Jr.

Normally at this point of our year end meeting I talk about the past year and the challenges of the coming year.  But this year I couldn't resist talking about the millennium. I struggled if I should or should not do it, but I realize that I'll only have one chance, so I decided to do it.  I would like to look back to the earliest recorded history of wastewater treatment and drinking water purification, then look forward to see if we are prepared for the new millennium.

If we look back at the history of water purification and wastewater treatment, inscriptions dating back to 1500 BC show that the Egyptians had apparatus to clarify water and wine. So it appears that some 3500 years ago, there was some understanding of the need to purify drinking water.

Then about 1,000 years later, the Greek physician Hippocrates prescribed that rainwater should be boiled and strained.  He was the first to suspect a correlation between the environment and health, but of course he could not prove it.

About this same time the Roman Empire rose and water conduits and sewer drains were first built.  Their technology was spread with each conquest. For example, they built elaborate buildings and water systems in Jerusalem, then destroyed them in 73 A.D.

Sanitary sewers have been found in the ruins of prehistoric cities.  Storm water drains built by the Romans are still in use today. Although not meant to be used for waste disposal, due to the Roman practice of dumping their sewage in the streets, the drains carried away significant waste with rainfall events. 

Privies have been around for over 500 years. The use of vault toilets occurred sometime at the end of the Middle Ages or about 1450 A.D.

About 250 years ago, in 1754 A.D., the first water system was built in the United States.  Hans Christopher Christensen constructed it in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Spring water was pumped through bored hemlock logs into a wooden reservoir for distribution to the townspeople. 

Beginning in the 18^th Century, sewer systems were built in Boston, New York and Philadelphia. Sewers have been described as "Conduits to Civilization." I believe that this was truly a turning point in becoming civilized.

One hundred years later, the first epidemiological study of cholera proved that public water supplies could be the source of infection for humans. This was before the germ theory was known.  However, by 1884, as a result of research by Louis Pasteur, Robert Koch and others, Koch isolated the causal agent of cholera, Vibrio cholera.

Louis Pasteur, French chemist and microbiologist (1822-1895), is recognized as the founder of microbiological sciences. He proved the germ theory that was the first major step in recognizing water borne diseases. So late in the 19th Century we had scientific proof that certain microorganisms in water caused disease.

At the turn of this century (1900 A.D.), sand filtration was first practiced in Germany and Great Britain. Later in America, Hazen would report that the death rate from typhoid fever was reduced after water filtration.  Moreover, there was a reduction of general death rate from 22.3 to 19.0 per 1,000 living. 

In 1909, chlorine was first added to an American drinking water supply.  Jersey City, New Jersey was the first municipal drinking water supply to be treated with chlorine. By 1914, most American cities treated their drinking water with chlorine, including Salt Lake City. Thereafter, epidemiological evidence showed typhoid fever incidences were reduced. Likewise, Salt Lake City saw a decline in typhoid incidents after chlorinating its drinking water supply.  Most health experts agree that chlorinating drinking water is one the most significant steps ever taken to improve public health.

Perhaps the most change has occurred in the past 25 years since the passage of the Clean Water and the Safe Drinking Water Acts. In 1960, the Public Health Service standard for turbidity was 10 ppm on finished water. Today's standard is 0.3 NTUs.  However, we operate our water treatment plants at 0.1 NTUs, which is 100 times more stringent than just 40 years ago.

So what has this accomplished?  It has had a dramatic impact on our lives.  The average life expectancy has increased by nearly 30 years over the past century.  In 1900 the average life expectancy at birth for all races and genders was 47.3 years. For the year 2000, life expectancy is projected to reach 76.7 years.

Furthermore, infectious diseases have declined from nearly 800 per 100,000 to 59 in 1996. There has been a slight increase since 1980 due to AIDs.

I called the CDC to see if there was an estimate of the benefits of treating wastewater and purifying drinking water supplies.  There have been so many different health advancements, it's impossible to determine how much each advancement has contributed to our health and well-being, but the person I spoke to, said that wastewater treatment and water purification have made significant contributions.  He noted that treating wastewater removes large numbers of pathogens from the environment which has a significant effect both on the environment and our health. Today, treated drinking water has eliminated most of the common water borne diseases that have plagued mankind for thousands of years.

Clearly there has been enormous change in our water amd wastewater profession since those early Egyptian inscriptions. But nearly all that we know today has occurred in just about one hundred of the past 3500 years. Improved treatment techiques have occurred in just the past 25 years.

Which now brings us to the second part of my comments, are we in position today to meet the challenges of the new millennium?

The following 9 points are key objectives:

1. Master Planning.  I believe that we have a clear plan of action for the future. We have completed Master Plans for all three utilities. We have a good idea of our needs and the timetable necessary to construct them.

2. Source Protection.  Again, I believe we have prepared well with the completion of our Canyon Master Plan and Ground Water Source Protection Ordinance. Protecting our water resources is critical to our future. Our leaders have been visionary in this regard. Many communities have allowed their resources to be polluted, and now are trying to undo the damage.

3. Financial Strength. As we heard today from the independent auditors, we are in a strong financial position as we enter the millennium. Our stand-alone AA bond rating and debt ratio are solid measurements of that strength.

4.  Strong Capital Improvement Investments.  The City Council's approval of our $45.5 million capital improvements program demostrated their commitment to rebuilding the infrastructure. The 5-year fully funded program through annual rate increases is a first. We've never had this commitment before – it's a philosophy to match the challenges of the millennium.

5. Organizational Change. This past eight years we have worked very hard to change our organization's culture.  There has been progress, but there is more to do. We need an organization culture that is capable of meeting the challenges of the new millennium. 

6. Being Competitive.  Perhaps the biggest change during this decade is the fact that the private sector wants our job. They believe that they can do it better and more efficiently. We have recognized the privatization movement and are becoming competitive. We realize that if we are competitive that our customers are receiving quality products and services at the best price.

7. Human Resources.  We need to hire the best employees possible. We need to train them and retain them.

8. Invest in Technology. We must continue to invest in technology if we are to be competitive.  We have made progress in this endeavor. Automation and computerization have made the utility more efficient. Particle counters at our water treatment plants is another good example. Use of the Internet for communication and business are on the cutting edge of technology. We are looking at radio reads of our meters. We must look for ways to incorporate new technology into our daily work lives.

9. Customer Service and Focus.  Most importantly, we must keep our customer focus. Our sole purpose should be to satisfy our customers with superior service and products. If we are successful at this, we will have their support during the new millennium, to rebuild the infrastructure, invest in technology and hire the best employees possible. Their satisfaction will keep us competitive and financially strong.

In conclusion, during most of the past 3.5 millenniums, change has been slow. However, today, the world changes every day.  As an organization we need to be ready to change just as fast. I believe we are positioned for the next millennium, but we must recognize the momentum of change and meet its challenges. 

Selected References

Water Quality and Treatment, American Water Works Association, Fourth Edition

Drinking Water & Health, Volume 5, Issue 2, Public Health Advisory Board to the Chlorine Chemistry Council

History of Public Works in the United States 1776-1976, American Public Works Association

Water Supply and Sewerage, McGraw-Hill Series in Sanitary Engineering and Science, 1960

Drinking Water And Health, The National Council of Science, Washington D.C. 1977