ABSTRACT
Civilization has developed and sustained throughout history near adequate water supplies. As populations increased, protection of water became crucial to sustain societal needs and to prevent waterborne illnesses. Protection and treatment of drinking water supplies were reported to occur as early as 4000 BC and primarily focused on aesthetic issues. This was followed centuries later by the discovery that unseeable (using the naked eye) water contaminates were contributing to waterborne illness, as determined by John Snow and Louis Pasteur in the 1800s (USEPA, 2000c). Thus, water resource protection has evolved over time based on public need, societal values, and scientific discovery.
