Water in, water out
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Safe clean water, past and present

In 1854 a London doctor, John Snow, suspected that an outbreak of cholera in London was linked to polluted water. His investigation led him to a water pump which was connected to a well in Broad Street which was at the centre of the outbreak.

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Image of Victorian water pump
London map showing cholera deaths in relation to where the water pump
Dr Snow removed the
handle of the pump and
as a result the local people
had to get their water from
somewhere else. The number
of people developing cholera
suddenly dropped. It was the
water in that well which had been
polluted with sewage!

Today cholera is very rare in this country. However, in the developing world there are often serious outbreaks of diseases caused by drinking dirty water.