Throughout history, humanity has settled in proximity to water. In fact, this trend still exists today; in the photo, The Nile River is illuminated by many lights. These lights reveal the high density of people around the river, which shows water's importance in society.
Still, society progressed and people migrated to a myriad of places, but the question of water distribution was still unanswered––until engineers figured out the intricacies of water distribution: the first society to utilize water distribution technology en masse was Mesopotamia (3100-1100 BC), which used dams and weirs to move water throughout the region. (American Water Works Association)
Another ancient example of water distribution is the utilization of hydraulics in the Harappan (also known as the Indus Valley) civilization (3000–1500 BC), spanning Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan. Additionally, the discussion of water and waste distribution is shown in the Indian Vedas, which could date back to 1500 BC. (Singh et al, 2020). These Vedas may have come into play in the Mauryan empire (322–185 BC), which, like the Harappan civilization of South Asia also embraced hydraulics to facilitate water transport. Later, we see the construction of the iconic Roman Aqueducts, starting in 312 BC (American Water Works Association); these aqueducts, being both functional and architecturally profound, inspired later technologies in water transport.
In the next article of Urban Draft, we will delve into the modern state of water infrastructure in the US, and explore key events and technologies that have shaped Americans’ consumption of water.
Finally, feel free to leave a comment or constructive criticism—feedback will help improve my future posts!
Bibliography
NASA. Nile River Delta at Night. 28 Oct. 2010. NASA Earth Observatory, https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/46820/nile-river-delta-at-night. Accessed 18 June 2024.
Singh, Pushpendra Kumar, et al. “Hydrology and Water Resources Management in Ancient India.” Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, Copernicus GmbH, 5 Oct. 2020, hess.copernicus.org/articles/24/4691/2020/.
Habibian, Ahmad, et al. “History of Water Distribution - Trenton, NJ.” History of Distribution: From Ancient Times to Present Day, American Water Works Association, www.trentonnj.org/DocumentCenter/View/3512/History-of-Water-Distribution. Accessed 19 June 2024.
A weir. 3 Dec. 2023. Understanding the Usage of Weirs in Construction, Housing.Com, https://housing.com/news/use-of-weirs-in-construction/. Accessed 18 June 2024.
Zarivny, Andrew. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/dams/. Dams, National Geographic, https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/dams/. Accessed 18 June 2024.
Spain, Fascinating. Les Ferreres Aqueduct or Pont del Diable. The Other Roman Aqueducts in Spain, Fascinating Spain, https://fascinatingspain.com/place-to-visit/the-best-of/the-other-roman-aqueducts-in-spain/. Accessed 18 June 2024.
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