history of water
At first glance, the California Aqueduct can seem almost unassuming, but in truth, it is one of the most ambitious and consequential feats of hydraulic engineering ever attempted in the United States — nothing less than a modern-day river sculpted from concrete and willpower, delivering life-sustaining water to millions of people and acres of farmland in an otherwise arid landscape.
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Historians can only estimate how long humans have been indulging the benefits of hot water in natural springs warmed by the earth. One place in Italy, believed to be made by the gods, is estimated to have been in continuous year-round use by health and pleasure seekers for more than 20,000 years – and remains one of Tuscany’s most popular attractions.
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Humans have been inventing ways to control water since the dawn of recorded history and almost certainly long before that. Among the most significant ancient hydraulic achievements, many have emerged from Greece where technologies such as the water wheel, positive displacement pumps, and the world's oldest operating fountain were all devised.
United by Water