ABSTRACT
The public water supply, which became a reasonably common feature of American cities after 1830, was the first important city service. The public water systems set the standard for managing a wide variety of services and have remained an essential part of city growth, development and the requirements of good health. Privatisation of water systems, which became popular in other parts of the world in the 1980s, has had an appreciably limited impact in the US. The resilience of water systems is thus dependent on the never-ending importance of the resource in situ, and thus, the local role in sustaining the service is integral. Decisions about improving water supply systems were made within a framework of rapid urban growth, increasing water usage and growing financial pressures on cities. Historical analysis of water systems in the US over time provides an opportunity to demonstrate the changing contexts in which these systems emerged, developed and performed.
