Pollution and the improper treatment of water is a big factor that degrades environments the water is never cleaned and then pumped right back into the societies usable water. In the reading about the “Great Columbus Experiment”, it is stated, “…sewer and water matters, especially the stench that wafted over their area…”(Blackford, 93). Because of the loads on pollution, whether it be biological, chemical, or industrial, urban areas air would become toxic for the surrounding environment and lead to a variety of diseases in humans and animals. The absurd amounts of pollution often go on to hurt the surrounding waterways, because then the waters began to develop diseases, such as cholera, and overall become toxic for human use. It is important to know that the pollution of rivers and various other sources of water cause environments to deteriorate and that humans are mistreating these valuable sources of