In the early twentieth century, scientific discoveries showed that poor sanitation and the improper disposal of human waste caused serious health problems, including typhoid fever, diarrhea, dysentery, and hookworm. During the Great Depression, the Works Project Administration was created to employ unskilled workers and became known for public architecture and health-related campaigns. One of its rural public health projects provided sanitary privies based on a standardized building plan that simplified construction and made production financially possible. Through the WPA and the New Deal Program, more than 600,000 outhouses were provided throughout the United States and placed at schools, tourist camps, individual homes, farms, and other public places.