Water Supply Purification in Tennessee

Abstract

Sanitary engineering activities in water purification on a statewide basis were first undertaken in Tennessee in 1919 when the United States Public Health Service detailed a sanitary engineer to the State Board of Health. Later the Legislature established a Division of Sanitary Engineering, beginning July 1, 1921. Municipal water supply improvement was one of the first things undertaken and has been strongly pursued ever since. At first a water works survey *by circular letter was made of cities and towns in the state. The information obtained, although quite complete in some instances, was largely meager. The letter survey was followed by a personal survey and inspection of all of the water supplies. The surveys disclosed the fact that few of the public water supplies were clear, unpolluted, and safe during the entire year, and that many supplies were grossly polluted over long periods of time.