Sure, most homeowners’ well water filtration systems are products of modern innovation, but water purification is by no means a new science. Here’s what you should know about the interesting history of water filtration systems.
In the Ancient Times.
In 2000 BCE, ancient peoples used water filtration systems that consisted of boiling water and crude filters made of sand or charcoal, which actually intended to enhance taste instead of making water cleaner. More than 1,000 years later, Hippocrates built his “Hippocratic Sleeve,” a cloth bag through which boiling water would be filtered. He was also one of the first people to ever correctly connect water to the body’s healing processes.
Scientific Experimentations.
In 1627, Sir Francis Bacon tries filtering seawater with sand, and failed. However, it was still the first time someone experimented with water filtration systems in about 1,200 years. Then, nearly 200 years later in 1804, Paisley, Scotland builds the first municipal water treatment plant, which used a slow sand treatment that was designed by a man named Robert Thom.
People Begin Taking Water Filtration Seriously.
Around the middle of the 19th century, people began taking water filtration very seriously. In 1852, London signed the Metropolis Water Act into law, the first legislation that water filtration systems be used. Two years later, a physician by the name of John Snow uses a microscope to link a cholera epidemic to an infected supply of water. He then chloronized the water to purify it, and stop the outbreak. Less than 50 years later, England began introducing chlorine into its water supply after a faulty sand filter causes an outbreak of typhoid.
If it weren’t for these advances in water purification, homeowners wouldn’t have the modern well water filter systems they have today. If you have any questions about the long, rich history of water filtration systems, feel free to share in the comments.
