The Effect of Municipal Water Filtration on Children's School Enrollment and Employment in American Cities

Numerous studies show that access to clean water reduces child mortality and morbidity, but little work has been done on the consequences for schooling and child labor. The effects are theoretically ambiguous because healthier children can go to school or go to work. I examine the effect of municipal installation of water filtration plants on school enrollment and child labor in American cities from 1880-1920. Using a difference-in-differences approach, I find that municipal water filtration has a positive effect on school enrollment. Also, I find a negative effect on child labor, but it is not significant at conventional levels