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plan, build and operate the first largescale
drinking water disinfection system
in the United States. It also follows the
four-year-long court battle that resulted
in the approval of the use of chlorine for
the Jersey City, NJ water supply, which
led to an explosion in chlorine use and
conquest of waterborne disease in the
United States.
The book began in 2005 with an article
on the history of water disinfection for
a 2006 issue of the Journal—American
Water Works Association commemorating
the 125th anniversary of AWWA.
The article covered eight disinfection
“revolutions” in this country’s efforts
to safeguard its drinking water supply,
and although well received, McGuire
wasn’t satisfied. He particularly wanted
to know why the first chlorination
of a water supply was accomplished
in Jersey City. It took seven years of
research and writing to answer that
question. “It was a hell of a risk to put
‘poison’ in the water, and if it had turned
out badly, George Warren Fuller would
have been ruined, having designed and
supervised the construction of the plant.
But according to his own words, he was
clear about what he was doing. He said,
‘This is not an experiment.’ He knew it
was going to work.”
McGuire says if there’s one thing he
regrets in his long career in the water
industry, it’s that he didn’t spend time
operating a water treatment plant. “I
think it’s really important that engineers
and scientists and administrators in our
business understand that operators are
the front line in the protection of public
health. I hope my book reinforces what
they already know—that public health
is paramount.”
The Chlorine Revolution is available
through AWWA (http://www.awwa.org
/chlorinebook) or at www.Amazon.com.
For those who would like a preview,
Source published an excerpt in its
Winter 2012 issue. S
/www.ca-nv-awwa.org
/chlorinebook
/chlorinebook
/www.Amazon.com
