1871 – First water filtration plant in the U.S.
In 1871, construction of a municipal drinking water filtration plant in Poughkeepsie, N. Y., dramatically reduces the incidence of typhoid fever in that area. The first successful slow sand filtration plant in America was placed into service July 8, 1872. The success of this project was heralded as epidemics all but disappeared and Poughkeepsie could no…