Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Water Pathways Through the Ages: From Early Aqueducts to Next Generation of Wastewater Treatment Plants

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Advances in Water Treatment and Pollution Prevention

  • 3578 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter describes the history of water management from early civilizations with little or no regulations to modern times with stringent environmental standards. Public health and longevity were continually improved due to better management which resulted in clean drinking water and sanitation. Also, there were major socioeconomic events which brought focus on water management such as the Black Plague and the two world wars. Furthermore, there were also scientific events such as the development of better analytical techniques and mathematical models. This chapter highlights that pollution control has been changed by advances in scientific knowledge and technology.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. De Feo G, Laureano P, Drusiani R, Angelakis AN (2010) Water and wastewater management technologies through the centuries. Water Sci Technol: Water Supply 10(3):337–349

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Lofrano G, Brown J (2010) Wastewater management through the ages: a history of mankind. Sci Total Environ 408:5254–5264

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Brown J (2005) The early history of wastewater treatment and disinfection. In: World water congress 2005: impacts of global climate change – proceedings of the 2005 world water and environmental resources congress, Anchorage, AK, 15–19 May 2005

    Google Scholar 

  4. Cooper PF (2007) Historical aspects of wastewater treatment. In: Lens P, Zeeman G, Lettinga G (eds) Decentralised sanitation and reuse: concepts, systems and implementation. IWA Publishing, London

    Google Scholar 

  5. Vuorinen HS, Juuti PS, Katko TS (2007) History of water and health from ancient civilizations to modern times. Water Sci Technol 7:49–57

    Google Scholar 

  6. Aiello AE, Larson MS, Sedlak R (2008) Hidden heroes of the health revolution sanitation and personal hygiene. Am J Infect Control 36:128–151

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. HDR (Human Development Report) (2006) Beyond scarcity: power, poverty and the global water crisis. United Nations Development Programme, New York

    Google Scholar 

  8. Lucking B (1984) Evaluating the sanitary revolution: typhus and typhoid in London 1851–1900. In: Woods R, Woodward J (eds) Urban Disease and Mortality in Nineteenth Century England. Batsford, London/New York, pp 102–119

    Google Scholar 

  9. Sorcinelli P (1998) Storia sociale dell’acqua. Riti e Culture. Mondadori, Milano

    Google Scholar 

  10. Seeger H (1999) The history of German wastewater treatment. Eur Water Manag 2:51–56

    Google Scholar 

  11. Shifrin NS (2005) Pollution management in twentieth century. J Environ Eng Asce 131:676–691

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Maneglier H (1994) Storia dell’acqua. SugarCo, Milano

    Google Scholar 

  13. Neri Serneri S (2007) The construction of the modern city and the management of water resources in Italy, 1880–1920. J Urban Hist 33:813–827

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Sori E (2001) La città e i rifiuti - Ecologia urbana dal Medioevo al primo Novecento. Il Mulino, Saggi, Bologna, Italy

    Google Scholar 

  15. Tarr JA (1985) Historical perspectives on hazardous wastes in the United States. Waste Manag Res 3:95–113

    Google Scholar 

  16. De Feo G, Napoli RMA (2007) Historical development of the Augustan aqueduct in Southern Italy: twenty centuries of works from Serino to Naples. Water Sci Technol 7:131–138

    Google Scholar 

  17. Tolle-Kastenbein R (2005) Archeologia dell’Acqua (Water archaeology). Longanesi, Roma

    Google Scholar 

  18. Baird BR, Smith RK (2002) Third century of biochemical oxygen demand. Water Environment Federation, Alexandria

    Google Scholar 

  19. Breasted JH (1906) Ancient records of Egypt: historical documents from the earliest times to the Persian conquest, vol 5. University of Chicago Press, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  20. Adam JP (1988) L’Arte di Costruire presso i Romani. Materiali e Tecniche (Roman building: materials and techniques). Longanesi, Milano

    Google Scholar 

  21. Angelakis AN, Koutsoyiannis D, Tchobanoglous G (2005) Urban wastewater and stormwater technologies in ancient Greece. Water Res 39:210–220

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Angelakis AN, Spyridakis SV (1996) The status of water resources in Minoan times: a preliminary study. In: Angelakis AN, Issar AS (eds) Diachronic climatic impacts on water resources with emphasis on Mediterranean region. Springer, Heidelberg, pp 161–191

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  23. Angelakis AN, Savvakis YM, Charalampakis G (2007) Aqueducts during the Minoan era. Water Sci Technol 7:95–101

    Google Scholar 

  24. Mays LW (2007) Ancient urban water supply systems in arid and semi-arid regions. In: Proceedings of international symposium on new directions in urban water management. UNESCO, Paris, France, 12–14 Sept 2007. Korea Water Resources Association. http://www.kwra.or.kr. Accessed Feb 2010

  25. Mays LW, Koutsoyiannis D, Angelakis AN (2007) A brief history of urban water supply in antiquity. Water Sci Technol: Water Supply 7(1):1–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. De Feo G, Mays LW, Angelakis AN (2011) Water and wastewater management technologies in the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. In: Wilderer P (ed) Treatise on water science, vol 4. Academic, Oxford, pp 3–22

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  27. Graham JW (1987) The palaces of Crete. Princeton University Press, Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  28. Hodge AT (2002) Roman aqueducts & water supply, 2nd edn. Gerald Duckworth & Co. Ltd, London

    Google Scholar 

  29. Kretzschmer F (1966) La technique romaine (trans. Breur J, Ulrix F). La Renaissance du Livre, Brussels

    Google Scholar 

  30. Hopkins J (2007) The cloaca maxima and the monumental manipulation of water in archaic Rome. The Water Rome 4:1–15

    Google Scholar 

  31. Narducci P (1889) Sulla fognatura della città di Roma. Descrizione tecnica. Forzani, Roma

    Google Scholar 

  32. Patwardhan AW (2003) Rotating biological contactors: a review. Ind Eng Chem Res 42:2035–2051

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Ardern E, Lockett WT (1914) Experiments in the oxidation of sewage without the aid of filters. J Soc Chem Ind 33:524

    Google Scholar 

  34. De Feo G (2004) Wastewater treatment with submerged biological aerated filters (Trattamento delle acque reflue mediante biofiltri aerati a letto sommerso). PhD thesis in Civil Engineering for the environment and territory, Cycle II, new series, University of Salerno, Faculty of Engineering, BNI 2005–6275 T, Bibl. National Central Florence Location: TDR.2004.5510, Inventory: CF20045510 (manual request), in Italian

    Google Scholar 

  35. Pujol R, Hamon M, Kandel X, Lemmel H (1994) Biofilters: flexible, reliable biological reactors. Water Sci Technol 11:33–38

    Google Scholar 

  36. Rusten B (1984) Wastewater treatment with aerated submerged biological filters. J Water Pollut Control F56:424–431

    Google Scholar 

  37. Mendoza-Espinosa L, Stephenson T (1999) A review of biological aerated filters (BAFs) for wastewater treatment. Environ Eng Sci 16(3):201–216

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Griffith LB (1943) Contact aeration for sewage treatment. Eng News Rec 28:60–64

    Google Scholar 

  39. EPA Manual (2000) Constructed wetlands treatment of municipal wastewater. United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Cincinnati

    Google Scholar 

  40. Kadlec RH, Knight RL (1996) Treatment wetlands. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton/New York

    Google Scholar 

  41. Lutdzack FT, Ettinger MB (1962) Controlling operation to minimize activated sludge effluent nitrogen. J Water Pollut Control F 34:124–138

    Google Scholar 

  42. Downing AL, Painter HA, Knowles G (1964) Nitrification in the activated sludge process. J Inst Sew Purif 2:130

    Google Scholar 

  43. Barnard JL (1973) Biological denitrification. Water Pollut Control 72:705–720

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Barnard JL (1974) Cut P and N without chemicals. Water Waste Eng 11:41–44

    Google Scholar 

  45. Barnard JL (1975) Biological nutrients removal without the addition of chemicals. Water Res 9:485–490

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Gayman M (2008) Glimpse into London’s early sewers. Cleaner Magazine. www.swopnet.com/engr/londonsewers

  47. Jönsson H, Stenström TA, Svensson J, Sundin A (1997) Source separated urine-nutrient and heavy metal content, water saving and faecal contamination. Original research article. Water Sci Technol 35(9):145–152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Rossi L, Lienert J, Larsen TA (2009) Real-life efficiency of urine source separation. Original research article. J Environ Manage 90(5):1909–1917

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Wilderer PA, Schreff D (2000) Decentralized and centralized wastewater management: a challenge for technology developers. Water Sci Technol 41(1):1–8

    Google Scholar 

  50. Ettinger MB (1965) Developments in detection of trace organic contaminants. J Am Water Work Assoc 57:453–457

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

The authors wish to thank Dr. Anna Carrafiello for the redaction of Fig. 2.3.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Civil and Environmental Engineer, via Asiago, 1-84132, Salerno, Italy

    Giusy Lofrano Ph.D.

  2. Manhattan College, Riverdale, NY, USA

    Jeanette Brown

  3. Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, 1-84084, Fisciano, Salerno, Italy

    Giovanni De Feo

Authors
  1. Giusy Lofrano Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jeanette Brown
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Giovanni De Feo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Giusy Lofrano Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , JECRC Foundation, Jaipur Eng. College & Research Centre, Shri Ram ki Nangal, via Sitapura RIICO, Tonk Road, Jaipur, 302 022, Rajasthan, India

    Sanjay K. Sharma

  2. , # R-2 Media Lab, Indian Institute of Technology, Nankari, Kanpur, 208016, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Rashmi Sanghi

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Lofrano, G., Brown, J., De Feo, G. (2012). Water Pathways Through the Ages: From Early Aqueducts to Next Generation of Wastewater Treatment Plants. In: Sharma, S., Sanghi, R. (eds) Advances in Water Treatment and Pollution Prevention. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4204-8_2

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation