Water pollution perspectives: Problem conceptualizations and abatement strategies in Sweden during the 20th century |
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| Authors: | M Löwgren Dr T Hillmo Dr U Lohm Dr |
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| Institution: | (1) Department of Water and Environmental Studies, Linköping University, S-581 83 Linköping, Sweden |
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| Abstract: | Water pollution control has been a matter of public concern for more than a century. One focus of this study was the development of water pollution perspectives during the last 50 years, including social perceptions of water pollution problems and societal judgements of the feasibility and practicability of various ways to solve them. Another focus was the conceptualizations of water pollution, made by natural scientists and technicians, who are viewed as crucial suppliers of knowledge.The concern for health, dominating Swedish water policy since the middle of the 19'th century, gave priority to local hygienic improvement by the construction of drinking water supply and wastewater removal systems. The initial abatement strategy aimed at mitigating local effects by the maintenance of self-purifying capacities of the recipients and treatment of drinking water. In the middle of this century source-related pollution abatement methods were introduced in reply to increasing needs for drinking water and social recreational demands. The development was limited by administrative and technical capacity, cost estimations setting the standards of feasibility. In the 1960's time and space perspectives were extended. The holistic view of cycling within and between ecosystems made the impacts of non point sources upon water quality visible. The pollution control perspective is now gradually being replaced by the goal of sustainable resource management, adding the notion of pollution prevention.During the last 50 years temporal and spatial scales have been widened. Measures taken did not correspond to current conceptualizations of water pollution. Considerable lags of implementation were found and technical solutions accumulated into infrastructural networks of an increasing magnitude and complexity. |
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