Water treatment in antiquity Since ancient times, humanity has understood that water is an essential resource for life, and efforts have been made in its management, treatment, and utilization. Today, we want to take a brief journey through history to see how ancient civilizations carried out water treatment practices.
Prehistory and Early Civilizations Beyond relying on natural water sources such as rivers or reservoirs for settlement and hunting, the first water management practices occurred with the advent of agriculture and livestock farming when tribes transitioned from being nomadic to settling down.
Mesopotamia, the first civilization, originated along the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The Sumerians were the first to leave traces of canalizations, rudimentary reservoirs, and applied distribution techniques to control natural water currents.
However, the Egyptians were the first to employ water purification techniques to improve water quality and performance. Since 2000 B.C., they began boiling water to eliminate pathogens: Water was heated, either with fire, hot irons, or sunlight, and allowed to pass through sands and gravels (early filters similar to those used today) for cooling.
But that’s not all. What is truly remarkable about the Egyptian civilization is that they were the first to use alum and aluminum sulfate minerals to separate colloid-type contaminants from water. This technique is still used today and provides a good example of the cultural development and advancement of this civilization.
The Classics: Greece and Rome Greece, the birthplace of philosophy, can be considered the first to view water as a fundamental part of its cities. Urban water management and the concept of wastewater emerged with them. They were the first to develop large storage and distribution structures using materials such as wood, metal, or ceramics, as well as structures like aeration and purification reservoirs.
However, if there is a civilization that marked a before and after in water management, it is undoubtedly the Roman civilization.
Romans were the great water engineers of the ancient era. They built large dams to store water, distributed to cities through complex canalization systems. However, the most notable aspect is their achievement of transporting large amounts of water over great distances through one of their most famous constructions, aqueducts.
Regarding water treatment, Romans were pioneers in the concept of hydrotherapy and the connection of water with health. Public baths, thermae, and the medicinal use of mineral waters are just a few examples.
An Empire in Decline The invasions of the barbarians and the fall of the Roman Empire had a devastating consequence on water management and treatment, abandoning all practices in this regard. This, combined with population growth in urban centers, was crucial for the emergence of numerous problems, diseases, and epidemics derived from contaminated water throughout Europe during the Middle Ages.
It would not be until the 18th century, with the industrial revolution and the development of modern cities, that water treatment techniques regained their splendor. But we’ll talk more about this later. We hope you found this journey through history interesting. At Eneragua, we like to understand where we come from in our endeavor to provide the best possible service in the development and implementation of water treatment systems. If you want to share any facts or curiosities with us, we’re all ears. 😊
