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Centenary of water sterilisation paper is important reminder to innovate

Dr Jen Baxter, IMechE Head of Engineering

Captain J Stanley Arthur OBE presented a paper about the sterilisation of water using chlorine gas at the IMechE on 19 November 1920 (Credit: Shutterstock)
Captain J Stanley Arthur OBE presented a paper about the sterilisation of water using chlorine gas at the IMechE on 19 November 1920 (Credit: Shutterstock)

Since its inception in 1847 the way the Institution of Mechanical Engineers operates has changed considerably.

With an initial mission to provide a place to give impulse to innovation, many engineers would present their novel ideas to the Institution’s members. One such innovation was presented by Captain J Stanley Arthur OBE on 19 November 1920 about the sterilisation of water using chlorine gas. 

The importance of clean drinking water became an established factor of good public health in the 19th century following the investigation of outbreaks of cholera and typhoid. These diseases, spread through contaminated food and water, caused thousands of deaths in the UK. An outbreak in 1831-32 killed over 50,000 people. 

When Dr John Snow made the connection that these diseases were caused by contaminated water during the 1854 outbreak the race was on to find ways to ensure that all water supplies to urban and rural areas were clean.

Captain Arthur’s paper identifies the need to purify water supplies and that, because filtration alone can only reduce around 98% of bacteria, it is important to find a way to remove the final 2%. Arthur, who had a focus on the purification of drinking water in the field following World War One, had identified that far more bleaching powder (chlorine) was being used than necessary. Arthur then looked to the new method of sterilisation using chlorine gas to provide a better solution, making a comparative study of different apparatus, and developed a best-practice approach. Arthur’s five-step approach included coagulation, sedimentation, filtration, sterilisation and dechlorination.

Purifying our drinking water: then and now

The longevity of Captain Arthur’s work can be seen today where we still follow many of these steps to purify our drinking water, with filtration and sterilisation using ultraviolet, ozone and chlorine. A full copy of his paper (“Sterilisation of water using chlorine gas”) can be found in the 1920 Proceedings in the institution’s library.

As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the presentation of this transformative process, it provides us with an opportunity to encourage our members to continue to be part of the original mission to provide impulse to innovation. Volunteering through our 18 technical divisions and groups that focus on the technical best practice and emerging technologies widens our knowledge base and continues the institution’s contribution to improving the world through engineering.


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Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

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