In a resident with cholera accidentally transmitted the disease via the Elbe River to Hamburg Germany rsquo s entire water supply Within weeks ten thousand citizens died Eight years earlier German microbiologist Robert Koch had made a discovery cholera was waterborne Koch rsquo s revelation prodded officials in large European cities to invest in filtration systems to protect their water Hamburg authorities however had done nothing Citing costs and alleging dubious science they rsquo d ignored clear warnings while their city careened toward catastrophe The book of Proverbs has a lot to say about those of us who see trouble [... more]