i watched some old men take a bath on tv tonight - but it's okay, it was pbs...
did you know rome watered its population with 150 gallons of water/person/day!?!
"NOVA: The water distribution system sounds extremely sophisticated, especially considering this was 2,000 years ago. Did the water cost people or was it a part of what the Roman state gave gratis to its people?
AICHER: Both. Rome may be something of an anomaly, but it had so much water that many private users would get a grant from the emperor during imperial times. They didn't have to pay; it would be an act of patronage. However, others, such as industrial users, would have to pay."
really, you mean that people knew how to manage water 2000 years ago, but we don't now? interesting...
however, water theft was still a problem:
"NOVA: How did they find these water sources? Was there a science to locating these springs and picking other water sources?
AICHER: It was a quasi-science. There were rules of thumb and long traditions of places to look for water. Vitruvius wrote ten books on architecture and he wrote about finding water. Some of his advice is obvious, like looking for mist or a lake and checking the water quality. He recommends talking to the local inhabitants around a water source to see what their complexions are like. If they looked healthy, that might mean that their water source was pure and worth tapping."
hmmm... that man is talking again - i feel guilty about it, but i think it's time for me to write an essay.
3 comments:
I'm confused, educate me. You said we don't know how to manage our water. Don't we have to pay for water just like Romans did?
we don't pay what it actually costs, especially out west, where there isn't any to buy in the first place.
did you know that it was illegal to meter water usage in Reno until fairly recently (Cadillac Desert)? the idea was that american ingenuity can conquer all - which in this case would violate the property of conservation of matter. we can get water out of sand, but only when there's water there to begin with.
oh, also, we don't charge industry or rich agriculture companies, ounce for ounce, as much as we charge struggling family farmers and individuals.
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