Marvin Melosi's The Sanitary City presents the ongoing attempt by Americans to create a "sanitary city" by devising methods of water supply, and wastewater and solid waste removal. The Sanitary City's major thesis is that sanitation technology was largely influenced by "the prevailing environmental theories of the day" (2). As new theories were developed, and attitudes concerning sanitation and the environment shifted, what was considered to be acceptable changed.
Early sanitation techniques rested largely upon individual households—privy closets, for example—and private enterprises such as scavengers and water contractors. Municipal sanitation was rudimentary if not outright nonexistent. Beginning in the early 1800sa new 'sanitary ideal' became more widespread thanks to the efforts of individuals such as Edwin Chadwick. This ideal linked filth to the spread of disease; thus more effective methods of waste removal and pure water supply would have a greater impact upon the prevention of disease (4). This ideal was refined as the nature of disease and germs became more widely known.
Because privately owned companies were either unable or unwilling to embark upon sewerage development, this became a service of the city government. Though not widely accepted at first, the idea of 'out of sight, out of mind' lent itself to the construction of underground sewage systems; eventually the idea that preventing human contact with waste to prevent disease would extend from sewage to solid waste disposal in landfills.
Melosi's groundbreaking integration of water supply, wastewater and solid waste disposal won several awards for the breadth of his scholarship. Melosi grounds his work in extensive research in both primary documents—industry documents, court cases, legislation, etc.—and the secondary literature.