Baicer, M. N.
Disposal of the sewage and protection of the water supply of Chicago, Ill. A report to the Chicago real estate board by Geo. A. Soper, John D. Watson and Arthur J. Martin, Chicago: Real Estate Board. National Municipal Review, vol. 5, no. 2, 2000, pp. 335-336.
The information in the article was compiled by the real estate board in Chicago to discuss the effects of improper disposal of human excreta to the water systems within Chicago. A major theme of the article is the importance of the Chicago sewage system to the water supply. In a section of the article, the author covers the history of Chicago particularly the improvement of sanitation in various cities. The readers of the publication will get access to the account of
Chicago and the main reasons why the sewerage system was installed. For many centuries,
Chicago was known as one of the dirtiest places in the United States of America. The main reason for listing the city as a filthy place was the absence of a proper system to channel human excreta from homes to the suitable destination for treatment and other processes like recycling.
The article compares the lives of people in the city before and after the system was constructed.
The house owners were the most affected group because they could not guarantee clean water to their tenants. Most people considered the city as the last option to stay because of the challenges related to the sewerage system and lack of fresh water supply.
Burian, Steven J., et al.
Urban Wastewater Management in the United States: Past, Present, and Future. Journal of Urban Technology, vol. 7, no. 3, 2000, pp. 33-62.
The journal discusses the construction of sewer systems to control waste waters in the main cities in US. Initially waste water was a major problem to the city management teams because there was no appropriate structures to control the waters generated from different sources. The material covers various towns and Chicago is one of the main towns that have been covered. The town was notorious for poor management of waste waters particularly from people’s residences and industries. The readers should expect to learn the construction and functioning of the drainage systems across three different periods; the past, present, and future. A close examination of what Chicago has gone through reveals that the city is headed for further improvements in relation to management of waste waters. In the past, Chicago did not have sewer lines and people had constructed their substandard lines to channel human excreta to treatment plants. The increase in the population of the city contributed to the increased need for advanced sewerage system. According to the publication, advancements in technology also played a vital role in coming up with such a complex sewer line in Chicago. The system is able to handle the increased amount of waste waters generated from various points in the city.
Cain, Louis P.
Sanitation in Chicago. Encyclopedia of Chicago, 2005, www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/300017.html.
The installation of the Chicago sewage system was a flagship project in the history of the city because it is considered as a significant factor that transformed the lives of the people in Chicago. The construction of the system was a substantial upgrade of the city since it changed the lives of the dwellers. One of the aspects that suggest why the sewerage system upgraded the Chicago was the provision of clean water and general improvement in sanitation. The piece covers the overall development of sanitation in Chicago following the construction of the system that was used to channel human waste to the right points on the outskirts of cities. Before the installation, people faced a significant challenge in accessing clean water for domestic use. Lake water was the most preferred because it was not contaminated as compared to other natural sources like rivers. The article also covers the options that people used to get clean water before the upgrade through the provision of a sewage system. Water treatment methods were the only sources of hope for the residents to acquire fresh water. The system marked a significant turning point in the lives of many people within the city because sanitation improved drastically.
Hamlin, Christopher.
Cholera: The Biography. Oxford Univ. P, 2009.
Lack of proper sanitation facilities is a main cause of diseases associated with oral fecal contamination. Sanitation amenities in cities include sewage systems and other services that help to keep human wastes from contaminating food and water supplies. The reader is expected to come across detailed information about the main causes of cholera in cities. Several towns in the United States of America have been mentioned to explain the burden of cholera in towns like Chicago before modernized facilities were set up. In the mid of the 19th
century, Chicago experienced numerous outbreaks of cholera and other conditions caused by fecal-oral contamination. The authors compare the rate of cholera in cities before and after construction of sewer lines. The book indicates that construction of sewer system was a major turning point in Chicago because it marked an end to diseases connected to contamination of water and food by human excreta. The line was crucial because it enabled the management of the town to make sure that all households are connected to sewerage lines that channeled all wastes out of the city. The prevalence of cholera reduced so much and it is currently a thing of the past because biological wastes are properly managed.
Hill, and Libby.
The Chicago River. 1992.
The material mentions some of the reasons that led to the construction of the drainage system in Chicago. Before the installation of the system, the Chicago River was a main dumping point for all kinds of wastes especially human wastes. There were several outbreaks of diarrheal illnesses among the people that depended on the river for supply of their domestic water. The river was responsible for loss of many lives as a result of the water borne diseases because the level of contamination was very high. The government channeled funds to install the sewerage system as a way of eliminating the prevalent public health problems that had been experienced for long. The piece determines the impacts of the line to the cleanliness of the water through comparing the past records; prior to the construction and few months after launching the new system. The outcomes indicates that there was drastic improvement of the Chicago River purity because it was no longer polluted by biological wastes. The once dirty and unreliable river for domestic uses became a crucial natural resource because the dwellers of Chicago depended completely on it for their water supplies.
Maier, Pauline.
Inventing America: : a History of the United States. W.W. Norton, 2006.
The current economic, political, and technological prowess of the US is a sum of various developmental stages that the country has gone through across years. The strong economy and living standards is a reflection of America’s efforts to uplift the living standards of its people. The numerous inventions that have been made in technology, engineering, and sciences are the key reasons for America’s development. The construction of the complex sewer lines is a reflection of the advanced engineering technologies. The sewer line in Chicago is a clear evidence that US was dedicated to make inventions that would benefit the lives of its citizens. The author uses the sophisticated sewer lines in Chicago to explain some of the important projects that have ever been completed in the history of the US. The project changed the lives of people in the town because the town was safer than before in terms of health. The dream of the city was to ensure that all houses are connected to the main sewer system and regulations were also made to force house owners to comply with the new requirements to properly manage their waste waters.
Moser, Whet.
Chicago. We Moved Heaven and Earth for Clean Water, 13 Feb. 2017, pp. 39-42.
The magazine talks about the most significant things that have ever happened in Chicago. The city has some of the most sophisticated projects that indicate great engineering ideas than in any other place in the US. The news mainly talks about the construction of the sewerage system in the city. One of the chief themes of the magazine is the effects of the building on the town and its environs. The publication also talks about how people of Chicago were in a severe need of the system because their lives depended on it. Some of the things that happened in the city as a result of lack of sewage system were occasional flooding of the Chicago with dirty waters. There was no place in the town to fetch clean water, and clean water was a significant challenge in the city. The construction of the system started with simple structures that helped to control wastewater that was mainly made up of fecal matter. The simple technologies were applied to ensure that human excreta did not contaminate clean water supplies like rivers. The construction was followed by complex structures and tunnels that applied urbane engineering skills. The publication shows the stages through which the sewage system went through and the impacts to the people.
Strecker, Eric W, and Wayne C. Huber.
Urban Drainage 2002: Global Solutions for Urban Drainage. American Soc. of Civil Engineers, 2004.
The book talks about the major drainage systems in the major cities within the US. The Chicago sewerage system features as one of the major projects that have happened in the history of the US cities. The poor drainage system was viewed as a severe challenge that faced many places. The drainage systems in cities were marked by the availability of proper systems to control human wastes from their places of residence. Residents of Chicago were in need of a sewage system than in any other area in the US. A drainage system in Chicago was a fundamental solution for the problems facing the city. In addition to access to clean water and reduced cases of water-borne illnesses, the general sanitation of Chicago improved considerably. The system in Chicago was used as a case study to construct sewage systems in other parts within the US and outside. The population increased in the city because many people started moving in the city and it also became a major place for trading activities because the Chicago had changed from its initial tag of the muddiest place in the US to one of the cleanest. The authors allege that the history of Chicago revolves around the construction of the sewage system.
White M.
The Economics of Time zones. Learning Ace, 1972, learningace.com/doc/1852927/fbfb4c95bcf.
The author of the material talks about the chief factors that contribute to the economic development of a place. The sanitation level is a main aspect that dictates the rate at which a town develops. Cities develop as a result of increase in population as people migrate from various parts of the country or outside the US to settle in the city. The growth of Chicago is accredited to the increase in population because there was an increase in demand for supply of materials hence, businesses grew in the city. However, Chicago could have not experienced the growth were it not for the construction of the sewer system. The plans for the drainage lines ensured that every single household was connected to the sewage system. Before the construction, people were not interested in settling in Chicago because of the poor sanitation conditions that were associated with the city. The image of the city changed after the system was laid down and it resulted in economic growth of the town as well as its environs. The chief theme of the author is that the installation of sewer system was a major aspect that led to the current strong economy in Chicago.
Zhang, Sarah.
Chicago Was Raised Over Four Feet in the 19th Century to Build Its Sewer. [Chicago], 15 Oct. 2014.
The growth of Chicago took place in various stages that focused on specific aspects that were considered crucial to the lives of its dwellers. Development projects were determined by the challenges facing the people of Chicago. Lack of clean water was a major challenge in the city. The geographical location of the city made it prone to contamination of water because the water table was very high. Before the construction, there were several cases of water-borne diseases, and many people believed that getting a sewer system was the only solution. The newspaper also mentions the efforts that were made by the people to raise the city from its muddy status. The conditions of the city made its dwellers be classified among the people living under the most impoverished conditions in the US. The urge to uplift the living conditions of the people inspired the construction of the sewage line. The newspaper lists the people and groups that contributed to the creation of drainage system. The plan was outlined by the Chicago Board of Sewerage Commissioners, and the group played an active role in raising the status of Chicago through the h construction of a sewer line. The city developed so much after the drainage system was put in place.
Works Cited
Baicer, M. N. "Disposal of the sewage and protection of the water supply of Chicago, Ill. A report to the Chicago real estate board by Geo. A. Soper, John D. Watson and Arthur J. Martin, Chicago: Real Estate Board." National Municipal Review, vol. 5, no. 2, 2000, pp. 335-336.
Cain, Louis P. "Sanitation in Chicago." Encyclopedia of Chicago, 2005, www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/300017.html.
Moser, Whet. "Chicago." We Moved Heaven and Earth for Clean Water, 13 Feb. 2017, pp. 39-42.
Burian, Steven J., et al. "Urban Wastewater Management in the United States: Past, Present, and Future." Journal of Urban Technology, vol. 7, no. 3, 2000, pp. 33-62.
Hamlin, Christopher. Cholera: The Biography. Oxford Univ. P, 2009.
Hill, and Libby. "The Chicago River." 1992.
Maier, Pauline. Inventing America: : a History of the United States. W.W. Norton, 2006.
White M. "The Economics of Time zones." Learning Ace, 1972, learningace.com/doc/1852927/fbfb4c95bcf.
Strecker, Eric W, and Wayne C. Huber. Urban Drainage 2002: Global Solutions for Urban Drainage. American Soc. of Civil Engineers, 2004.
Zhang, Sarah. Chicago Was Raised Over Four Feet in the 19th Century to Build Its Sewer, [Chicago], 15 Oct. 2014.
