Rubbish, Stink, and Death: The Historical Evolution,
Present State, and Future Direction of Water-Quality
Management and Modeling

Chapra, Steven C.

doi:2011.16.3.113

Environmental Engineering Research 2011;16(3): 113-119. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4491/eer.2011.16.3.113

Rubbish, Stink, and Death: The Historical Evolution, Present State, and Future Direction of Water-Quality Management and Modeling

Steven C. Chapra^†

Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA

Corresponding Author: Steven C. Chapra ,Tel: +1-617-627- 3654, Fax: +1-617-627-3994, Email: steven.chapra@tufts.edu

Received: August 10, 2011; Accepted: August 28, 2011.

ABSTRACT

This study traces the origin, evolution, and current state-of-the-art of engineering-oriented water-quality management and modeling. Three attributes of polluted water underlie human concerns for water quality: rubbish (aesthetic impairment), stink (ecosystem impairment), and death (public health impairment). The historical roots of both modern environmental engineering and water-quality modeling are traced to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries when European and American engineers worked to control and manage urban wastewater. The subsequent evolution of water-quality modeling can be divided into four stages related to dissolved oxygen (1925–1960), computerization (1960–1970), eutrophication (1970–1977) and toxic substances (1977–1990). Current efforts to integrate these stages into unified holistic frameworks are described. The role of water-quality management and modeling for developing economies is outlined.

Keywords: Environmental engineering | Water-quality management | Water-quality modeling