David Sedlak discusses water engineering advances on Radio National

Major advances in water engineering from the aqueducts of ancient Rome to recent innovations have all contributed to modern water security, according to panellists on a recent ABC Radio National program that featured Professor David Sedlak.

Prof Sedlak, a Research Advisory Sub-committee member for the Future Technologies Program and author of Water 4.0: The Past, Present and Future of the World’s Most Vital Resource, told interviewers on the Rear Vision program that growth in population and water consumption of cities during the Industrial Revolution forced planners to improve on old Roman water treatment systems.

“One of the main engineering challenges was to make that water safe to drink or to bring in clean water from other places. And largely the problem of contaminated drinking water supplies was solved by bringing in water from pristine sources, that is, building large canals from above the city or making canals come in from the mountains,” Prof Sedlak said.

“Throughout history water was viewed as a finite resource… and with the technologies that we’ve developed in the 20th century, we are able to expand that resource considerably.”

Prof Sedlak also discussed whether water recycling and desalination plants could answer the challenge of future drought and climate change.

Listen to the program and view the transcript here.

https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/rearvision/a-history-of-drinking-water/6352898