”It was absolutely
forbidden to approach the
well with soiled hands or a
dirty container.“
Decorated well head, Venice.
Water, Sewage and
Effluent (WSE) welcomes
Helgard Muller as a
regular contributor to
this publication. Helgard
recently retired from
the Department of
Water Affairs, where
he served as deputy
director-general: Policy
and Regulations. His
vast knowledge in policy
and regulations at the
Department of Water and
Sanitation will add huge
value to WSE.
• Although new technologies in water
services have been developed, the
basics are still the same — we can
do well to learn and apply the same
time-proven essentials such as proper
planning, sound regulation, and constant
maintenance.
• Rainwater harvesting concepts, such as
in the Roman villas, are centuries old and
remain an excellent way to provide basic
water or augment municipal provision.
We see it today in the new eco-friendly
green buildings.
• A well-maintained system can operate
for 500 years (and longer) as in the
village of Fie. The cruise ships embrace
this principle, as qualified trained staff
is on board and maintenance work is
carried out all day, while travelling.
• Hygiene practices are as important as
water supply and sanitation. The strict
rules that applied to the Venetians at
their wells should be applied by all
communities getting water from
communal stand pipes or wells.
• Sound regulation needs discipline. In
Venice, water abstraction from the well
was controlled to conserve water and
the stipulations of the Fie water letter
were enforced to benefit all.
• The private sector has an important
role to play, such as the water vendors
(aquaroli) in Venice, and government
must create a suitable environment for
this, while regulating the services. u
Helgard Muller
What are the messages from
all this historical stuff?
References
1. Sirmione
and Lake Garda (n.d.).
1.
Publication by Kina Italia/LEGO.
2. Augustin, E., 2017, ‘Water courses over
time’, ALPE 19.
3. en.wikipedia.org
4. the-other-venice.tumblr.com
5. www.marpoltraining.com
6. www.venicebackstage.org
7. www.venipedia.org/
8. www.imo.org/en
9. en.turismovenezia.it
Water Sewage & Effluent July/August 2017
Leonardo, the Governor of Tyrol. So, what is
so special about this letter?
Five hundred years ago, in the year 1517,
Leonardo drafted this document, which,
unique for those days, included plans for
the regulation of the entire drinking water
supply system and the fountain of the town
of Fie. This document, complete with neat
sketches of the supply system and the
fountain, survives to this very day, right
down to the wax seal, and is held in the
parish archives of the town of Fie in the
Dolomiti.
Leonardo was no newcomer to water
supply, as he was previously responsible for
overseeing the salt mines of Tyrol, where
kilometre-long wooden brine pipes led to
the salt pans. He subsequently applied this
knowledge to ensure good drinking water
for people and animals in the Fie area.
In the letter, he carefully described how
the water from a spring would be divided
into two shares — one half for the private
manor fountain and the second half for
public use. He also meticulously detailed
how the fountain should be covered at
source with stone slabs and the water
stored in a reservoir that would be sheltered
from ingress by rainwater or dirt, while
simultaneously ensuring that sand and silt
settles at the bottom and would not block
the pipes itself. The water flowed along
wooden pipes over 3 200m, right into a
fountain in the town’s square — quite an
achievement for 1517! This fountain is still
functional after 500 years, thanks to proper
maintenance.
Like most leaders, Leonardo of Fie also
had a darker side; his ruthless actions are
equally well documented in the so-called
‘Grievances Articles’ submitted by farmers
from Fie in 1525. He was accused of
expropriation of land from farmers, as well
as raising rent without justification. It all
sounds so familiar! Although his fortress,
Prösels Castle, was besieged and damaged,
it is fortunate that this water letter was
not destroyed and is available today as a
remarkable testimony of water planning and
regulation 500 years ago.
37