In the mid- to late 19th century, modern pipe-bound water and sewer systems proliferated in European cities, a development that has sometimes been regarded as a necessary result of a sanitary awakening and the progress of science and technology. By analyzing the introduction and subsequent expansion of water, sewerage, and excreta collection on the local level, in the Swedish cities Norrköping and Linköping, this oversimplified picture is questioned. The main problematique of this dissertation is why piped water supply and sewerage were introduced in these two Swedish cities at this particular time in history, and why the systems were subsequently extended. The actor-network theory (ANT) is used as an analytical tool. In the local context issues of governance, economy, technology, public health, and environment were brought to a head, and, if anything stands out, it is the complexity of introducing new technology.

Despite the differences between Norrköping and Linköping in terms of topography and social and economic structures, the evolution of water supply and sewerage was on the whole similar. The existence of uniform scientific, technological, ideological, and cultural influences and of legislation at the national level, coupled with suburban growth, contributed to this development. There was more variation in excreta collection, because of the differences between the cities. Poor sanitary conditions, a river sensitive to pollution, and a strong public health network caused Linköping to introduce sanitary regulations much earlier than Norrköping and in Linköping WC’s were not as common.