It's time to find our pump handle, or to get a right pump handle. Let me explain.

In the 1850's, 500 people died of cholera in just ten days in one London neighborhood, marking the beginning of horrible epidemic. Victorian physician Dr. John Snow of London, now considered one of the fathers of modern epidemiology, had already written a controversial pamphlet suggesting that cholera was not caused by "vapors," but was instead a disease of the "gut," spread by contaminated water.

With the high number of deaths in this neighborhood, he studied the cases and was convinced that a pump at the intersection of Broad and Cambridge Streets was the sole source of contaminated water. In an emotional public meeting, he suggested removing the pump handle so no more water could be drawn from that location.

The rest is history. The handle was removed, the water inaccessible, cholera abated, and huge engineering projects were launched for sanitation systems and clean water across Europe. Dr. Snow's pump handle affected all of us. It led to improvements in the areas of sanitation and purification, and dramatically improved human life, lowering infant mortality rates and increasing life spans. (For more see Steve Loranger [CEO of ITT Industries], "Global Water Management," Vital Speeches, 15 March 20005, 325ff.)