The Role of Science and Engineering in Water Regulation over the Past 100 Years

20 Pages Posted: 4 Feb 2009

See all articles by James R. May

James R. May

Widener University Delaware Law School

Patrick Clary

Widener University Delaware Law School

Date Written: November 18, 2008

Abstract

This article explores how scientific and engineering principles are inexorably linked to the regulation of water. Scientists and engineers first discovered the link between disease and water sources in the mid-19th century. Over the years, scientists and engineers have led the way to identifying water quality problems and their causes. These discoveries have directly contributed to the scope of water regulation in the United States and elsewhere. In addition, changes in water quality regulation have dictated the need for increasingly sophisticated water treatment technologies and engineers have been at the forefront of the development of these water control technologies. This session will discuss the historical roots, and the development over the century, of scientific principles and engineering technology in identifying and combating water pollution. It will also provide a solid foundation for understanding current efforts underway to solve current and future water quality issues.

Keywords: water pollution, environmental law, regulation, science, engineering, water quality

JEL Classification: K32

Suggested Citation

May, James and Clary, Patrick, The Role of Science and Engineering in Water Regulation over the Past 100 Years (November 18, 2008). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1337592 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1337592

James May (Contact Author)

Widener University Delaware Law School ( email )

4601 Concord Pike
Wilmington, DE 19803-0406
United States

Patrick Clary

Widener University Delaware Law School ( email )

4601 Concord Pike
Wilmington, DE 19803-0406
United States

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