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Published: Tuesday 31 July 2007

Sewer ark


http//www.sewerhistory.org/



Sanitation doesn't usually inspire literature; nor is it an attractive proposition for academics. Well, not usually. But over the last 15 years, Jon Schladweiler has made it his mission to prove that sludge indeed has been the artist's muse, if only rarely. With links to F M Veatch's An ode to the sludge , Robert Frosts A Brook in the City and more sanitation-inspired, this site under review shows that Schladweiler's efforts have been pretty well-rewarded.

It's not just poetry. Schladweiler, a historian at the Arizona Water and Pollution Control Association in the US, has researched and collected a lot of material related to the history of sewage conveyance systems.

The website has links to documents describing the evolutionary development of sewers over more than 5,000 years. It also has an exhaustive bibliography, links to articles, and even a book.Posters, artefacts, and exhibits of sewage conveyance activities -- some dating back around 150 years -- make this site an extremely educative tour.

Schladweiler also invites you to share any materials you have.

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