Ardern and Lockett remembrance

Glen T. Daigger (USA)

1.1 INTRODUCTION

In this volume we recount the development of the AS process over the past 100 years. In so doing we also celebrate its contributions to enhancing human life and environmental protection and speculate about its role in the future. This is an ambitious task to say the least, but one which we hope will inform both the current generation about the future and future generations about the past. To do this it is necessary to go back to 'the beginning' and understand the circumstances which resulted in the initial development of the AS process. The reasons that it has been so transformational to the sanitary engineering profession, both throughout the past 100 years and especially as the sanitary engineering profession evolved into the environmental engineering profession in the late 1960s and 1970s, are also addressed.

Edward Ardern and William T. Lockett, pictured in Figure 1.1, are widely recognized as the 'discoverers' and 'inventors' of the AS process. Their paper before the Society of Chemical Industry on April 3, 1914 in Manchester, England is broadly recognized as the 'official' presentation of the AS process to the professional community. How did this come to pass and why was this such a momentous event in the history of the sanitary/environmental engineering profession? The answers to these questions require an understanding of the historical context for the development of the AS process – the circumstances which existed in society in general as the process was being developed. In English there is a common expression that states 'necessity is the mother of invention', so we might ask 'what was the necessity that drove this invention?' Addressing this question is essential for setting the stage for all that follows, both in the following chapters of this book and as we collectively look at the future of the process. Why is this the case? It is because, as in the past, it is 'necessity' that will drive the further practical advancement of the process.

To accomplish this task I will:

• Review the social, economic, scientific, and environmental context of the late 19th and early 20th century when the AS process was developed.

• Briefly summarize the principal events which led to development of the process.

• Discuss the role that Ardern and Lockett specifically played in development of the process.

• Discuss the subsequent implementation of the process, which set it on the path to become the dominant technology that it is today.

• Identify the key characteristics of the process which have allowed it to remain so dominant for such a long time.

It is clear that the AS process has had a major impact on the sanitary/ environmental engineering profession in its approach to addressing human health and environmental protection over the past 100 years. Each quarter century or so of AS process's existence has brought with it a review of its historical development (Mohlman, 1938; Sawyer, 1965; Alleman & Prakasam, 1983). It will be interesting to see if yet another major review and assessment is prepared in about 2040.

1.2 INVENTION OF AS

1.2.1 The context

The late 19th and early 20th century was a time of significant change. Roughly 100 years following the initiation of the first industrial revolution in the UK and the USA, and at the conclusion of the second industrial revolution in which technological, economic, and population growth gained increased momentum, the living standards of a rapidly increasing population were, likewise, rapidly increasing. Millions of people were literally being lifted out of poverty into a standard of living never before experienced by so many (a situation not unlike what is occurring in developing countries such as China today). The urban population was also increasing exponentially (a trend which continues today) as the economic wealth created by the industrial revolution was concentrated there.

While a tendency exists to romanticize this period, the actual situation was far from idyllic (Bettmann, 1974). Indeed, the increased urban population suffered from unsanitary conditions that adversely impacted their health, comfort, and standard of living, and negative environmental impacts were broadly felt. The average life span during this time period was roughly 45 to 50 years, compared to the 75 to 80 years that it is today. Infant mortality was a principal contributor to reducing the lifespan in the late 19th and early 20th century. It is thought by many that two of the three decades of additional life span now enjoyed in the developed world are due to the water and sanitation systems installed during the 20th century. Indeed, a survey of public health researchers and...