LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In the 19th century, Louisville was known as the "Graveyard of the West." It was said if you drank our water you were risking your life.
Cholera was rampant.
Kelley Dearing-Smith of Louisville Water Company says the problem was largely sanitation.
"The issue was that you had a beautiful outhouse, and you set that outhouse probably too close to the well so everything that went into the outhouse mixed with the groundwater," she said. "And the well water was filled with cholera."
Recognizing the problem, and trying to salvage the city's reputation, the Louisville Water Company was founded with one goal in mind – clean the water.
The idea was to treat Ohio River water as best they could for the time and provide it to the public.
In the 1870s, the Crescent Hill Reservoir was built so mud could settle out before sending it through the early water lines - still dirty, but a cleaner option.
Water treatment was still in its infancy, but Louisville soon became an international leader.
"We brought a man to Louisville named George Warren Fuller. And Mr. Fuller did landmark experiments here in Louisville in 1896," Dearing-Smith said. "On how to filter the water and how to remove particles, and that changed water treatment around the world forever."
Fuller conducted his experiments on the lawn of the Louisville Water Tower in four wooden shacks that are no longer standing. A historical marker is there today to recognize the groundbreaking work down there.
By 1898 Louisville's water was finally clear. In 1917, the U.S. government called Louisville's water "almost perfect."
But unknown risks still existed.
Early water service lines were made of lead before their dangers were known. Some towns, such as Flint, Michigan, have learned first-hand the disasters that lead pipes can cause.
During World War II, the Water Company decided to stop using lead and transition to copper pipes – unintentionally making the water safer in the process.
"We've replaced the 76,000 known lead service lines that we installed, they're gone. Now we know we're still going to find some and when we do we'll replace them," Dearing-Smith says. "There's no lead in your drinking water when it leaves the treatment plant. The risk for lead is pipes and plumbing."
Homes built before 1950 are more likely to have lead service lines and internal plumbing. If found, Louisville Water replaces those service lines for free.
If any unknown lead service lines are found, Louisville Water makes a plan to replace those pipes as soon as possible.
Perhaps the most important aspect to clean water is trust.
Crises like Flint, Michigan and Jackson, Mississippi can create paranoia, suspicion, and anger among citizens toward the organizations that provide them with the most basic need for life.
Dearing-Smith says it's important to always be visible, transparent, and engage with the community – not stay quiet until something is wrong.
"We believe in telling a story every day about what we do. There's a science to making drinking water, we want to talk about it, we want you to think about that water that comes out of your faucet. We make the city work. And we take that responsibility very seriously."
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