The pump in the Grote Markt, 'measuring is knowing'

We are here at one of the city pumps. Pumps were primarily installed by the government in the 18th century. The government felt responsible for public health, and the open water wells or river water could easily become contaminated and, according to the miasma theory, cause diseases.

In 1854, Dr. Snow was able to link contaminated drinking water with the spread of cholera in London. Even more striking, after several years of study, it turned out that this contamination was related to the fact that drinking water was polluted by leaking cesspools.

Meanwhile (circa 1860), Pasteur developed the germ theory that could cause diseases. He also believed that if these germs could be destroyed, the diseases could be prevented. He could not demonstrate the existence of bacteria, but he did prove the effectiveness of boiling and heating.

Only after the epidemic of 1866 did this information reach the hygienists, and actions would be gradually taken to provide clean drinking water.

In 1900, the Institut Antirabique et Bactériologique du Brabant was established, where municipalities could have their pump water analyzed. Aarschot would already do this for all its pumps in 1903 and thereby render the dangerous pumps out of use.

Before World War I, the local medical committee regularly posted notices with warnings, including not to use Demer water and to boil pump water or to take measures against the spread of flies.

Jan Rymenams