Water, Sewage & Effluent July-August 2017 | Page 38

of Venice therefore decreed in 1540 that a canal be built to bring fresh water from the Brenta River to the edge of the lagoon and from there the water vending business was handled by an association called the aquaroli , transporting water in special boats called burchi . The retail water selling was done along the streets by hawkers or bigolanti shouting aqua mo ( meaning ‘ water now ’), bringing this essential daily need right to the doorstep of shops and houses if ordered . These hawkers were mostly women and had to acquire a right to sell water , with an annual fee paid to the aquaroli association ( like a water license of modern times ).
Since 1884 , the city is provided with potable water from the mainland through a reticulated water supply . What surprises most visitors are the numerous public drinking water fountains still found across the city . Tourists subsequently ask , “ Is this water safe to drink ?” The answer is , “ Yes , you can just take a sip or refill your plastic bottle ,” instead of buying bottled mineral water at the equivalent of R20 for 500ml . ( Expensive , until you realise that this bottled water is still brought in by boat from the mainland and pushed by hand on a trolley from the nearest canal to the market where it is sold .)
Today , the numerous well heads , some beautifully sculptured , are no longer the main source of fresh water for Venetians , but remain a vital aspect of the city ’ s historical and artistic treasures .
Water supply for an ancient Roman villa
The shores of the picturesque lakes in Northern Italy — Lake Garda , Lake Maggiore , and Lake Como — are lined with glorious villas where , over the centuries , the affluent have built these mansions overlooking the crystalclear water of the lakes , with the snow-capped Alps in the background . On a small peninsula in Lago Garda lie the ruins of a huge Roman villa built here around 50 BCE . Walking among the remnants is constant proof of the extraordinary scale and craftsmanship in Roman times , while the unique surroundings and centuries-old olive trees also stimulate the imagination and one ’ s own theories about the ruins .
But at least a few facts became clear from archaeological excavations and interpretations : the massive villa covered more than 20 000m 2 ; it had a bathing complex with water heated by hot air under the brick pavement , as well as a cold bath hall . Such a vast complex would have needed a lot of water . Rainwater from roofs were collected on patio areas neatly tiled with small terracotta tiles and sloped to feed the water into huge cisterns or underground storage water tanks — one of these is 60m in length and may be three to five metres high . ( According to my own rough estimate , anything between 1 and 1.5 megalitres could be stored in one cistern while positioned on the highest point of the villa complex and feeding by gravity many of the rooms and halls , if needed .)
Ancient water regulation in a 500-year-old water letter
While visiting the beautiful Dolomites ( Italian Dolomiti , or in German known as the Südtirol ), a UNESCO World Heritage site , our visit coincided with the unique 500- year anniversary of a historic ‘ Water Letter ’ as drafted by
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