Every day people around the world get their water in different ways. Some get water from a well, others turn on a tap, go to the store, and some walk many miles to a river. But no matter how we get our drinking water, it almost always starts with rain.
Rainwater is really clean, said my friend Julie Padowski. She’s a scientist at the State of Washington Water Research Center at Washington State University.
In ancient times, some people harvested rain in big containers, but many more people used water that had collected naturally in streams, rivers, and in the ground.
They could find groundwater rushing by in rivers, or bubbling up from underground through a spring. They could also dig deep into the earth to find water.
“What people did way back in ancient times is they looked for water that was flowing or they used groundwater,” Padowski said. “Groundwater from deep down in the earth is often safer to drink because it’s more protected from contamination.”
As cities grew up around the world, people had some new ideas for getting water. The Romans built big, bridge-like structures called aqueducts, which helped bring water from distant springs or mountains into the city. They also had different ways to filter the water. Padowski said we still use some of these ancient techniques.
For example, we let water sit, or settle, so particles fall to the bottom. Then we can strain off the particle-free water. We boil water to kill any bacteria. We also filter water through soil or sand. In ancient times, people actually built sand filtration columns. As the water slowly trickled through the column, it cleaned the water.
When using soil or sand as a filter, particles that might be bad for you get stuck in the little gaps, or pores. This small stuff gets trapped as the water continues to flow down. Tiny bacteria in the soil also eat up some of the particles. By the time the water moves through the soil, we have some very clean water.
We live on a wet planet—about 70 percent of the surface is covered in water. But only about one to two percent of that is water we can actually drink.
These days we have new technology and creative ways to filter some of the dirtiest water on our planet and transform it into clean drinking water. It allows us to tap into new techniques people in ancient times may not have been able to use, Padowski said.
Who knows, maybe one day you will also help us come up with innovative ways to make sure everyone has clean drinking water and that no one goes thirsty. Water is a precious resource and we can all do our part to take care of it.
Sincerely,
Dr. Universe
FAQs
In ancient times, people actually built sand filtration columns. As the water slowly trickled through the column, it cleaned the water.
How did people in ancient times filter water? ›
Ancient peoples recognized that heat could purify water, so they used sand and gravel filtering and boiling. Ancient peoples aimed to improve the taste of their drinking water. They wanted to minimize the water's turbidity, but were unaware of chemical pollution and microbes.
How did ancient humans drink water? ›
Before, when people lived as hunters/ collectors, river water was applied for drinking water purposes. When people permanently stayed in one place for a long period of time, this was usually near a river or lake. When there were no rivers or lakes in an area, people used groundwater for drinking water purposes.
How did ancient people find underground water? ›
Romans used tunnels to get to prized underground springs and bring water through hills and mountains. 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.
What are the traditional methods of water purification used in ancient times? ›
Early Sanskrit and Ancient Greek writings around 2000 BC are the earliest known recordings of water filtration. At this time, people thought heat or boiling were the best forms of water purification. They also used crude straining methods of sand and gravel filtration.
How do humans filter water? ›
During filtration, the clear water passes through filters that have different pore sizes and are made of different materials (such as sand, gravel, and charcoal). These filters remove dissolved particles and germs, such as dust, chemicals, parasites, bacteria, and viruses.
Who was the first person to filter water? ›
1700s AD. In the mid-1700s, Joseph Amy obtained the first patent for a water filter. His design incorporated charcoal, wool, and sponge layers to eliminate unwanted organisms and particles. These filters were made available for sale in 1750.
Is rain water safe to drink? ›
Rainwater can carry bacteria, parasites, viruses, and chemicals that could make you sick, and it has been linked to disease outbreaks. The risk of getting sick from rainwater may be different depending on your location, how frequently it rains, the season, and how you collect and store the rainwater.
Is the water we drink ancient? ›
Scientists Discover The Water You Drink May Be 4.5 Billion Years Old | nyruralwater.org.
Why do humans need clean water but animals don't? ›
Because of the clean drinking water and other reasons, there are fewer cases of infection, and the human body does not need to accelerate the metabolic rate more and increase the body temperature to suppress germs. And those raised by humans, which drink clean water, also live longer than their wild counterparts.
In the sense that it finds underground water, water dowsing does not work. Water dowsing involves the claim that a person can locate underground sources of water without using any scientific instruments.
How clean was Roman water? ›
The ancient Romans didn't have chemicals like we can use for water purification in Cincinnati, OH. Instead, they used settling basins and air exposure. The basins were a pool of water where the water would slow down. This slowing allowed impurities such as sand to drop out of the water as it moved.
How to do water dowsing? ›
In the classic method of using a forked stick, one fork is held in each hand with the palms upward. The bottom or butt end of the "Y" is pointed skyward at an angle of about 45 degrees. The dowser then walks back and forth over the area to be tested.
How to purify water without anything? ›
Sunlight is considered to be one of the most natural ways to purify water. Fill clear water in a container and keep it under the sun for a minimum of six hours. Make sure the water does not have any sedimentation. The solar radiation and heat will kill the pathogens present in the water.
What is the oldest method of water purification? ›
Distillation is one of the oldest methods of water treatment and is still in use today, though not commonly as a home treatment method. It can effectively remove many contaminants from drinking water, including bacteria, inorganic and many organic compounds.
How to filter water traditionally? ›
Traditional water treatment methods
- Filtration through winnowing sieve.
- Filtration through cloth.
- Filtration through clay vessels.
- Clarification & filtration through plant material.
- Jempeng stone filter method.
The basins would slow the water down. As it slowed, the impurities or the load, as it's called, dropped out of it. That would remove some of the sand and other impurities. We also purify water by aerating it.
How did ancient Egyptians purify water? ›
As ancient fans of beer, the Egyptians also prioritized safe drinking water. In Khem, people used a gravity filter to purify muddy water drawn from the Nile with alum. The coagulating effect of aluminum sulfate, Al2(SO4)3, causes suspended particles to clump. This speeds up filtration, making more water available.
How did pioneers purify water? ›
Boiling: Boiling water was a common practice to kill harmful microorganisms. Pioneers would heat water over an open flame or stove. Use of Filters: Some pioneers used improvised filters, such as layers of cloth or sand, to remove sediment and impurities from water.
How did the Mayans filter their water? ›
Synopsis: Archaeologists recently discovered the world's most ancient water purification system. Centuries before Asian and European cities developed methods to clean water, the Maya city of Tikal in modern Guatemala used natural zeolite minerals for water purification and quartz sand for water clarification.
“What people did way back in ancient times is they looked for water that was flowing or they used groundwater,” Padowski said. “Groundwater from deep down in the earth is often safer to drink because it’s more protected from contamination.”