Editing Philadelphia Water Supply (section)

== Historical Development ==

Philadelphia's municipal water supply originated in response to yellow fever epidemics that killed thousands in the 1790s. The disease was attributed (incorrectly, as later understood) to contaminated well water, prompting city leaders to pursue a public water supply. The Centre Square Water Works, designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, opened in 1801 as the nation's first significant municipal water system, pumping Schuylkill River water to a central tank for distribution.<ref name="pwd"/>

The Fairmount Water Works replaced the Centre Square facility in 1815, using water wheels powered by a dam across the Schuylkill to pump water to reservoirs on "Faire Mount" (now the site of the Philadelphia Museum of Art). The works became internationally famous, attracting visitors who admired both the engineering achievement and the picturesque setting. The facility operated until 1909, transitioning from water supply to a decorative park feature and eventually an interpretive center.<ref name="pwd"/>

As Philadelphia grew and water quality concerns mounted, the city developed filtration facilities in the early twentieth century. Slow sand filtration, later supplemented by other treatment processes, addressed the turbidity and contamination that had made raw river water increasingly problematic. These treatment facilities established the modern water supply infrastructure that continues serving the city.<ref name="pwd"/>