AWWA JAW62648

Hoffbuhr begins this article by listing events that happened in 1881, the same year that the American Water Works Association (AWWA) was formed when a group of 22 men representing water utilities in six different states met at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri and agreed to exchange water information. The article recounts major events in the history of AWWA, including: AWWA's first effort at supporting federal legislation in 1892 by issuing a memorial to Congress stressing the importance of source water protection and improved filtration to protect public health; in 1893 AWWA supported passage of the Interstate Quarantine Act for controlling the interstate transfer of communicable diseases; from 1900 to 1913 the typhoid death rate dropped 55% due to an increase in filtered water; in 1914, the U.S. Public Health Service adopted the first microbiological standards for drinking water; in 1908 AWWA adopted a set of "Standard Specifications for Cast Iron Water Pipes and Special Castings"; in 1913 the Chemical and Bacteriological Division was formed; in 1914 a new constitution was approved permitting the formation of geographic sections; in 1914 a quarterly version of the Journal AWWA was introduced to replace the annual proceedings; in 1924 editor Able Wolman made the Journal a monthly publication; in 1920 the Standardization Council was formed and published AWWA's first major publication, "Water Works Practice"; in the 1930s AWWA staff members were hired and the headquarters office was established in New York City; and, in 1974, AWWA's headquarters moved to Denver, Colorado, and subsequently launched the AWWA Research Foundation and Water For People.