One hundred years since the introduction of the regular chlorination of drinking water

Czech version

Authors: V. Bencko
Authors‘ workplace: Ústav hygieny a epidemiologie ; Přednosta: prof. MUDr. Vladimír Bencko, DrSc. ; Karlova univerzita v Praze, 1. LF a VFN
Published in: Prakt. Lék. 2009; 89(3): 149-151
Category: History/Essay

Overview

The introduction of sand filters into the process of water purification, as well as the use of water from infiltration wells in the mid 19^th century, are important advances in the efforts to ensure safe drinking water. Sand filtration alone was not efficient enough to clean crude river water from excessive contamination by pathogenic microbes. Acceptably safe drinking water was attained following the introduction of chlorination. One hundred years after the introduction of the chlorination of drinking water (leading on from the earlier method of sand filtration) it is estimated that this method has directly resulted in reducing the total registered mortality of inhabitants of large municipalities and industrial conglomerations by at least half between the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Registered infant mortality was reduced by 3/4 and childhood mortality by 2/3, aided in large part by water purification. In public health terms, the chlorination of drinking water, together with the introduction of systematic vaccination against diseases (where vaccines are available), are the most significant milestones in the past millennium in health protection, and hence effective contribution to primary prevention enhancing quality of life.

Key words:
drinking water, drinking water disinfection, chlorination, sand filtration, waterborne infectious diseases, primary prevention.

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