inn Tooo OOO Rushing in underground pipes meandering through city streams spraying from grand fountains and twisty little garden hoses water brings life to our cities All living things need it to thrive Our bodies are around 60 percent water We can't go more than a few days without drinking it or we won't survive Nearly three quarters of the earth is also covered by water though much of it is in the ocean and undrinkable Some water is frozen in glaciers and ice caps Less than 1 percent of our planet's water is fresh and readily accessible for drinking Still it's easy not to think about water if you live in a city where it flows from the faucet with a mere flick of the wrist It's easy to forget that water is a limited resource
The history of cities begins with water most urban centers grew up near rivers lakes or oceans But as cities expanded it became necessary to supply residents with drinking water and sanitation systems to get rid of waste Some of the earliest cities with such systems were in the Indus Valley in parts of modern day Afghanistan Pakistan and India As far back as 2500 BCE in the city of Mohenjo daro most people had their own bathing areas and homes were connected to a waste removal system Cities in the vast territory occupied by Ancient Rome 753 BCE to 476 ce are also known for their water supply and plumbing The Romans built huge structures called aqueducts right some of which still stand today
Aqueducts acted like artificial streams transporting water downhill from lakes or rivers using the power of gravity The Romans also constructed underground tunnels so water could be supplied to homes businesses and the public baths left Despite these early innovations many homes in cities around the world did not have indoor plumbing or running water for another 1,500 years In Britain the flush toilet was a luxury only for the wealthy well into the 1800s In the USA only 1 percent of homes had indoor plumbing by 1920 Eventually fear of water borne illnesses such as diarrhea dysentery and cholera pushed cities to create treatment plants and build massive water systems beneath the streets
