Book Summary: Drinking Water
James Salzman’s Drinking Water looks at our relationship with drinking water, diving into the history and facts that surround this essential piece of our life.
Related Book Summaries:
10% Happier – Dan Harris – Book Summary
Book Summary: The Art Of Travel – Alain De Botton
Blink – Malcolm Gladwell – Book Summary
Book Summary Notes: Drinking Water
- Historically drinking water was not always desirable but it was thought to hold mystical powers.
- Ancient romans considered water only fit for children, slaves and women who couldn’t drink wine.
- This theme continued with the pilgrims of the new world who preferred beer to water. The pilgrims believed that water was only for the poorest among the community.
- The romans were the first to bring water into houses and give it free to their citizens. The greatest achievement of the romans were their aqueducts over 2000 years ago, some of which still stand today.
- The relationship between unclean water and diseases wasn’t discovered until part way through the 19th century. The fact that water could carry disease contributed to the reasons earlier civilisations preferred fermented drinks like beer and wine instead.
- Sourcing drinkable water is not always easy for many cities. After sourcing, cities still need to treat it and keep it clean while in distribution.
- Most natural freshwater sources are unclean, usually due to pollution from nearby animal populations. A study from 1999 also found that 80% Of tested streams across 30 states in the USA contained traces of chemicals from personal care products.
- These days more than 1500 bottles of water are opened each second in the USA. This began on the back of the health and fitness boom from the 1970s. The rise of bottled water is mostly because it’s become so profitable for so many corporations.
