26 SOURCE spring 2020
When they came
to Marah, they
could not drink
the water because
it was bitter. The
people complained
against Moshe
saying:
“What are we
to drink?”
Then Moshe
threw the piece
of wood into the
water and it
became fit
to drink.
Sinai Peninsula
14th Century bce
MAKING HISTORY
California’s Drinking
Water Program
105 Years of Public Health Protection
The Early Years 1915-1949
By Robert Brownwood
California Governor
Hiram Johnson,
circa 1915, Library
of Congress
POLITICAL LEADERS HAVE BEEN EXPECTED to
solve water quality problems and address customer
complaints for ages. Whether you’re an operator,
utility manager, engineer, vendor, consultant, lobbyist,
call center operator or regulator, you no doubt have heard your
share of complaints about someone’s water quality. In contrast
to the above scenario, most political leaders turn to the experts
to solve water quality problems. Shortly into his second term
as California’s 23rd Governor, Hiram Johnson (pictured above)
welcomed two visitors from the University of California into his
office in response to the growing typhoid epidemics converging
on the young State of California. The visiting Cal alumni proposed