In 1908, Jersey City, New Jersey was the first city in the United States to begin routine disinfection of community drinking water.
Over the next decade, thousands of cities and towns across the United States followed suit in routinely disinfecting their drinking water, contributing to a dramatic decrease in disease across the country.
The occurrence of diseases such as cholera and typhoid dropped dramatically.
This decrease in illness is credited to the implementation of drinking water disinfection and treatment, improving the quality of source water, and improvements in sanitation and hygiene.
