Immersed in their on-demand, highly consumptive, and disposable
lifestyles, most urban Americans take for granted the technologies that
provide them with potable water, remove their trash, and process their
wastewater. These vital services, however, are the byproduct of many
decades of development by engineers, sanitarians, and civic planners.
In The Sanitary City, Martin V. Melosi assembles a comprehensive,
thoroughly researched and referenced history of sanitary services in
urban America. He examines the evolution of water supply, sewage
systems, and solid waste disposal during three distinct eras: The Age of
Miasmas (pre-1880); The Bacteriological Revolution (1880-1945); and The
New Ecology (1945 to present-day).
Originally published in 2000, this abridged edition includes updated
text and bibliographic materials. The Sanitary City is an essential
resource for those interested in environmental history, environmental
engineering, science and technology, urban studies, and public health.
Winner of:
George Perkins Marsh Prize from the American Society for Environmental
History Urban History Association Prize for the best book in North
American Urban History
Abel Wolman Prize from the Public Works Historical Society
Sidney Edelstein Prize from the Society for the History of Technology