how did coloinist handle sewage treatment

What is the history of sewage treatment?

The historical focus of sewage treatment was on the conveyance of raw sewage to a natural body of water, e.g. a river or ocean, where it would be diluted and dissipated. Early human habitations were often built next to water sources.

How does sewage get treated?

Sewage water can travel towards treatment plants via piping and in a flow aided by gravity and pumps. The first part of filtration of sewage typically includes a bar screen to filter solids and large objects which are then collected in dumpsters and disposed of in landfills. Fat and grease is also removed before the primary treatment of sewage.

How is sewage collected and transported to the treatment plant?

Alternatively, sewage can be collected and transported by a network of pipes and pump stations to a municipal treatment plant. This is called a "centralized" system (see also sewerage and pipes and infrastructure ).

How did the Industrial Revolution affect sewage treatment in Europe?

European countries largely ignored what the Romans were doing and didn’t really progress with sewage treatment until the Enlightenment Era (17th to 19th century). It is also worth noting that the huge amount of growth that came with the Industrial Revolution resulted in grossly overpopulated streets, which resulted in a large amount of disease.

How did colonists get clean water?

Colonists on rural farms or on the frontier could find natural, clean sources of water, or could dig wells to reach fresh water. Colonists in the city drank "bottled water," from the countryside. City dwellers used bodies of water for garbage disposal, not drinking.

How did the first sewage system work?

The first sanitation facility was the sump or cesspit that appeared in Babylon around 4000 B.C. A simple digging in the ground to concentrate the excreta that could soon be found in other cities of the empire and in rural areas.

How did medieval sewage work?

In medieval European cities, small natural waterways used for carrying off wastewater were eventually covered over and functioned as sewers. London's River Fleet is such a system. Open drains, or gutters, for waste water run-off ran along the center of some streets.

How did colonists store water?

Colonial homes were generally required to keep cisterns, barrels or other water containers filled for quick response to prevent conflagration.

Who invented wastewater treatment?

The first wastewater treatment plant was introduced in the early 18th century by Robert Thom in Scotland. The plant used slow sand filters for water purification and distributed the water trough an early sewer system to everyone within the city limits of Paisley.

How did they build sewers?

Sewage first flowed into a large stone or concrete tank where heavy solids settled to the bottom and lighter particles floated to the top. The partially cleaned liquid flowed into a nearby body of water. Collected sludge was either used as fertilizer or simply buried.

Did castles have sewers?

Whereas commoners used communal outhouses or open, out-of-the-way latrines, residents of Europe's castles used rudimentary plumbing systems called garderobes. These were little more than holes or short tubes that dropped waste directly into the castle's moat or onto a hillside that led down into the pool.

Did middle ages have plumbing?

there was a decline of plumbing and sanitation in Europe, through the middle ages. While personal hygiene did exist, too much bathing was thought dangerous. Private baths were only for the wealthy and powerful, andpublic baths were simply too expensive for most.

What did city dwellers do with their domestic sewage in the middle ages?

Epidemics raged in the cities, but the relationship between excrement and disease was not recognized. In the middle ages people simply threw their waste into the streets.

How much did colonists drink?

Colonial Americans drank roughly three times as much as modern Americans, primarily in the form of beer, cider, and whiskey.

Where did the pilgrims get fresh water?

In the spring of 1621, Plymouth Colony's Town Brook—the main water supply for the newly arrived Pilgrims—filled with silvery river herring swimming upstream to spawn.

Did settlers boil water?

In many cases, the pioneers would boil their water first if they were able to do so. However, knowledge about contaminants was minimal during these times, and many people did not understand the necessity of boiling water that is taken from an unknown source.

How did the fall of the Roman Empire affect sanitation?

The fall of the Roman Empire in the west turned an urban society into a rural one. “By 500 [C.E.], ‘the taps were being turned off all over Europe; they would not be turned on again for nearly a thousand years: Sanitation technology entered its dark ages”. There was massive depopulation of Rome and most of the western Empire. The deurbanization of the west changed waste treatment. “The reduced population density, therefore, rendered traditional methods of waste disposal (tossing it out of the house) more viable”. Also, without monitoring the sewers and streets, hygienic conditions fell below the Imperial Roman Standards. This demise in sanitation brought back “the outhouse, open trenches, and the chamber pot … at all levels of society”.

What were the major changes in sanitation during the Renaissance?

During the Renaissance more concern was given to health and water issues. The cesspool was one of the technical developments of the Renaissance. It is a simple pit which allowed solids to settle and the liquid to seep into the ground. Periodically, the cesspools would have to be cleaned out. As the 15th century came to a close, there were other management changes that impacted sanitation. Henry the VI (England) established a Commission of Sewers, which “provided for severe penalties for the pollution of streams and made special provisions for the disposal of tanner and brewers wastes.” Henry the VII outlawed slaughterhouses in cities or towns, because of the danger of disease for the people. There was a new awareness of the role that human and animal wastes played on human health by the end of the 15th century.

How did the Croton Aqueduct affect the city?

This change greatly impacted the development of public health issues and the development of sewering the city. The Croton Aqueduct Department laid 39,000 linear feet of sewers in 1865.By the end of the decade the department had laid an additional 271,000 linear feet. They were draining the city. “Each district was approached as an entity and treated in its entirety. A system of intercepting sewers was planned that took into consideration street grade and anticipated sewage volume. The goal was to ensure the smooth and continuous flow of sewage from small pipes into larger ones and finally to a limited and specified number of sites for disposal into the rivers”.

What type of pipes did the Minoan royals use?

baths that were filled and emptied using terra-cotta pipes. This piping system is similar to techniques used today. They had flushing toilets, with wooden seats and an overhead reservoir. “Excavations reveal four large separate drainage systems that emptied into large sewers built of stone.” The Minoan royals were the last group to use flushing toilets until the re-development of that technology in 1596.

What were the changes in water in the Middle Ages?

As the middle ages went on, changes did occur. Most of the water changes in water issues were speared-head by religious orders . “Near Milan, the Cistercians introduced the use of city refuse and sewer water as fertilizers on their land about 1150 C.E. Even during the unwashed period, “many abbeys in Britain had piped water before 1200 [C.E.]. The Christchurch Monastery at Canterbury, for example, had running water, purifying tanks, and wastewater drainage from toilets, and the monastery was spared from the Black Plague in 1349”.

What was the change in the 12th century?

By the end of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th centuries, changes began to take place. Following the major plagues of the 12th century, waste management became a priority. In 1372 Edward the Third of England proclaimed that “throwing rushes, dung, refuse and other filth and harmful things into the [Thames] shall no longer be allowed”. Following this line, in 1388 an act of Parliament “forbade the throwing of filth and garbage into ditches, rivers, and water” And by the late 14th century London had an organized

When was the septic system invented?

In 1860 Louis Moureas invented the septic tank; however, it would not be given this name until 1895. Septic tanks at this stage were large and were used to treat sewage from communities. “The main purpose of these tanks was to remove gross solids before discharge into the nearest stream or river.” Here we see an understanding of removing the solids, a potential problem for public health. Nevertheless, a problem remained: “effluent was largely untreated and caused pollution of streams and rivers”. The pollution of water was not solved by a septic tank. Even with pre-treatment, the need for disposal technology was becoming evident.

What was the focus of sewage treatment?

The historical focus of sewage treatment was on the conveyance of raw sewage to a natural body of water, e.g. a river or ocean, where it would be diluted and dissipated. Early human habitations were often built next to water sources. Rivers would often serve as a crude form of natural sewage disposal.

Why did cities treat sewage before discharge?

: 12 Later, cities attempted to treat the sewage before discharge in order to prevent water pollution and waterborne diseases. During the half-century around 1900, these public health interventions succeeded in drastically reducing the incidence of water-borne diseases among the urban population, and were an important cause in the increases of life expectancy experienced at the time.

What is reuse of wastewater?

Wastewater reuse is an ancient practice, which has been applied since the dawn of human history, and is connected to the development of sanitation provision. Reuse of untreated municipal wastewater has been practiced for many centuries with the objective of diverting human waste outside of urban settlements.

How did Francis Bacon desalinate sea water?

Sir Francis Bacon attempted to desalinate sea water by passing the flow through a sand filter. Although his experiment did not succeed, it marked the beginning of a new interest in the field.

What is the history of water supply and sanitation?

The history of water supply and sanitation is one of a logistical challenge to provide clean water and sanitation systems since the dawn of civilization. Where water resources, infrastructure or sanitation systems were insufficient, diseases spread and people fell sick or died prematurely. Major human settlements could initially develop only ...

Why did cities build sewers?

As part of a trend of municipal sanitation programs in the late 19th and 20th centuries, many cities constructed extensive sewer systems to help control outbreaks of disease such as typhoid and cholera.

When was the first water system in Skara Brae?

A primitive indoor, tree bark lined, two-channel, stone, fresh and wastewater system appears to have featured in the houses of Skara Brae, and the Barnhouse Settlement, from around 3000 BCE, along with a cell-like enclave in a number of houses, of Skara Brae, that it has been suggested may have functioned as an early indoor Latrine.

When did sewage treatment start?

The history of sewage treatment had the following developments: It began with land application ( sewage farms) in the 1840s in England, followed by chemical treatment and sedimentation of sewage in tanks, then biological treatment the late 19th century, which led to the development of the activated sludge process starting in 1912.

Where can sewage be treated?

Sewage can be treated close to where the sewage is created , which may be called a "decentralized" system or even an "on-site" system (in septic tanks, biofilters or aerobic treatment systems ). Alternatively, sewage can be collected and transported by a network of pipes and pump stations to a municipal treatment plant.

Why is wastewater treated?

The pretreatment has the following aims: to remove constituents that may pose risks to the sewerage system and its workers; prevent toxic or inhibitory compounds to the microorganisms in the biological stage in the municipal treatment plant; hinder beneficial use of the produced sewage sludge; or that will still be present in the final effluent from the treatment plant. : 59 Some industrial wastewater may contain pollutants which cannot be removed by sewage treatment plants. Also, variable flow of industrial waste associated with production cycles may upset the population dynamics of biological treatment units.

What is wastewater used for?

Physical, chemical, and biological processes are used to remove contaminants and produce treated wastewater (or treated effluent) that is safe enough for release into the environment.

What is municipal wastewater treatment?

Sewage treatment (or domestic wastewater treatment, municipal wastewater treatment) is a type of wastewater treatment which aims to remove contaminants from sewage.

What is wastewater treatment plant?

The term "sewage treatment plant" (or "sewage treatment works" in some countries) is nowadays often replaced with the term wastewater treatment plant or wastewater treatment station . Strictly speaking, the latter is a broader term that can also refer to industrial wastewater.

How much of the world's wastewater is treated?

At the global level, an estimated 52% of municipal wastewater is treated. However, wastewater treatment rates are highly unequal for different countries around the world. For example, while high-income countries treat approximately 74% of their municipal wastewater, developing countries treat an average of just 4.2%.

What did the Indians do to create needed items?

Everyone worked to create needed things like shelter, clothing, fine hand work, utensils and weaponry. Many of these items were museum quality. Finally, when the weather was warm many A Indians eschewed clothing except for the minimal. Modesty as practiced today by all Americans was unknown.

What was the formal justification for Europeans to colonize other lands?

Historically, the formal justification for Europeans to colonize other lands came from a principle called the Discovery Doctrine.

What were the first documentary sources for northern Indians?

The earliest documentary source for northern Indians is the The Jesuit Relations - Wikipedia . These 17th century missionaries took no special interest in personal hygiene but noticed that the Hurons, Abenaki, etc. used natural greases and oils (from geese, bearskin, etc.) to moisturize the skin. There may be no formal record of their inventing soap for themselves, but ashes must have from time to time become mixed with the animal fats the Indians collected. The tribes reported on by the Jesuits were partly or wholly nomadic. Hunting tribes tended to relocate every season, while farmer tribes

Where were permanent settlements built?

Large permanent or seasonal settlements were nearly always built near water sources, and located upstream or up-current from a designated “midden” or dumpsite where all the refuse from the camp was thrown, to keep the camp as clean as possible… those who could not make the trek to the midden were aided in “doing their business” by those who could, and the waste removed to the midden in pots, leaves, grass etc…

Did the American Indians have soap?

The American Indians fared no better. They were Stone Age people and also had BO. They did not have modern soap. They were a hunting and gathering society. Like our ancestors they could sew beautifully and probably started sewing in childhood.

Why are sewers important?

Sewers won over goverments. While capital and resource intensive, they encourage density and growth. Although polluting, they provide centralized, controllable outcomes that fit 19th century drives for centralization, professionalization, bureaucratization, and control (Tarr).

What would the capital and maintenance costs of building sewerage systems represent?

1. Capital and maintenance costs of building sewerage systems would represent a savings for municipalities over the annual costs of collection under the cesspool-privy vault scavenger system. Tarr believes this was probably true, although numbers are hard to come by for the costs of comparable collection systems. 2.

How much does it cost to hook up to sewer?

The cost of hooking up to the sewers comes to roughly $15,000-$20,000 per resident, not counting usage rates and maintenance.

Why is oxygen bubbled into sewage tanks?

Oxygen is bubbled into to tanks of sewage to encourage soil bacteria to devour the nutrients in sewage. Keeping soil bacteria alive in water is energy intensive. Piped water service began in the early 19th century before sewers were used for anything other than stormwater drainage.

How much water did Victorian toilets use?

Victorian Flush toilets were 5-12 gallons a flush– or 9,000-22,000 gallons of water a year.

What would happen if water was removed from human excretion?

1. Water-carriage removal would waste the valuable resources present in human excreta that might otherwise be used for fertilizer.

Why would cities that constructed sewerage systems grow at a faster rate than those without?

3. Because of improved sanitary conditions, cities that constructed sewerage systems would grow at a faster rate than those without by attracting population and industry

Why was cleanliness important in medieval times?

Personal cleanliness in medieval times was hampered by a lack of access to fresh water supplies and frequent problems with sewage disposal in medieval towns. During medieval times, it was widely believed that bad smells were the cause of disease and so if the smell could be combated, the threat of disease was lessened.

What did the Great Conduit of London do to the city?

In the late thirteenth-century, the Great Conduit of London supplied the city with clean water and in other towns, rivers were often used to carry away waste, to the detriment of those downstream.

How many soap makers were there in Bristol?

Around 180 soap makers worked in the city in the sixteenth-century, making hard and soft Bristol soap mainly for sale to shops in London.

What did medieval people wash their teeth with?

Medieval people did wash, often in cold water, and many cleaned their teeth, with a cloth dipped into a solution of herbs or ash. Only in the wealthiest households did people have access to warm baths in wooden tubs. For everyone else, washing in a stream, river or bowl of cold water was the only available option. Source:

Did the wealthy have baths?

Only the Wealthiest Households had Access to Baths. The Middle Ages are often seen as a time when there was little knowledge about health and sanitation. But, attempts were made to keep communities healthy. People in the 21st century have access to a range of anti-bacterial and specialised cleaning products, for both body and home.

How did sanitation help the 1800s?

Sanatoriums had open porches to provide fresh air and easy access to the outdoors. Medical facilitators in urban areas opened free dispensaries and clinics where sick patients could receive medicine, medical advice and treatment. Even though unsanitary conditions and disease were problematic in the late 1800s, advancements helped extend the average life span and reduce deaths from common diseases, such as pneumonia and influenza.

What was the unsanitary conditions in the meat packing industry?

Conditions within the factories were also unsanitary and non-edible byproducts weren’t disposed of properly. The novel “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair graphically describes the horribly unsanitary conditions that existed in the meat packing industry in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

What were the conditions of the immigrant ship?

Travel conditions aboard immigrant ships were germ-infested and unsanitary. Immigrants lived in tight quarters during their travel to America, and contagious diseases, such as scarlet fever, measles, small pox, diphtheria, typhoid fever and tuberculosis were quickly transmitted from one passenger to another. Children were especially susceptible to the diseases. Insufficient nutrition, spoiled food, a lack of sunlight, poor ventilation and unsanitary waste removal contributed to the poor conditions. As a result, America was inundated with disease-inflicted immigrants. The National Quarantine Act was established in 1878, giving the federal government control over quarantine measures. In 1891, federal immigration legislation made the Marine Hospital Service responsible for performing medical examinations on all newly arriving immigrants.

What were the concerns in tenement houses?

Septic tanks for sewage treatment weren’t available until 1895, so tenement houses didn’t have proper waste disposal methods. Fresh air, sunlight and proper nutrition were concerns in tenement houses.

What were the conditions in the late 1800s?

Sanitary Conditions in the Late 1800s in America. By the late 1800s, Americans had developed a greater understanding of health issues and were becoming increasingly aware of the dangers associated with the spread of contagious diseases. Sanitary conditions in rural areas, such as farming communities, were generally acceptable ...

When was the meat inspection act passed?

Until the U.S. Meat Inspection Act was authorized by the Secretary of Agriculture in 1906 , meat-slaughtering and meat-packaging factories were storehouses for germs and disease. Meat wasn’t properly refrigerated, inspected or tested, and consumers often got sick or died as a result of the bacteria-infested food. Conditions within the factories were also unsanitary and non-edible byproducts weren’t disposed of properly. The novel “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair graphically describes the horribly unsanitary conditions that existed in the meat packing industry in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Prehistory of Sewage Treatment

Bronze and Early Iron Ages

Medieval and Early Modern Ages

Modern Age Wastewater Systems

• The Modern Age saw cities and countries working at different rates when it came to sewage treatment: 1. Places such as Rome and Istanbul developed a network of sewer to collect wastewater, and a huge array of these systems still work to this day. They have just been rerouted from waterways to a treatment plant. 2. European countries largely ignored...

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Sewage Treatment Today

Prehistory

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Bronze and Early Iron Ages

Medieval and Early Modern Ages

Modern Age

Understanding of Health Aspects

See Also

Further Reading

Terminology

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Purposes and Overview

Types of Treatment Processes

Design Aspects

Available Process Steps

Environmental Impacts

Reuse

Global Situation

History

Regulations