U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for September 30

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30: FIRST CITY WATER TO BE FILTERED

Profile America — Friday, September 30th.  We pretty much take for granted that the water that comes out of the faucets in our homes is safe to drink.  But it wasn't always that way.  A dramatic example is the filtration system installed by the town of Lawrence, Massachusetts, completed this month  in 1893.  The system was an open sand filter of nearly three acres, designed by Hiram Francis Mills, that slowly filtered bacteria from water piped from the Merrimack River.  In the first year the filter was in operation, the town's overall death rate dropped 21 percent, causing worldwide interest. Across the U.S., there are nearly 52,000 community water systems, serving a vast majority of the nation's population.  You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Sources:  Kane's Famous First Facts, 2234

Statistical Abstract of the United States 2011, t. 954

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button).  

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau