Before, when people lived as hunters/ collectors, river water was applied for drinking water purposes. When people permanently stayed in one place for a long period of time, this was usually near a river or lake. When there were no rivers or lakes in an area, people used groundwater for drinking water purposes.
In ancient times, some people harvested rain in big containers, but many more people used water that had collected naturally in streams, rivers, and in the ground. They could find groundwater rushing by in rivers, or bubbling up from underground through a spring. They could also dig deep into the earth to find water.
How did humans drink before we invented cups? Probably using their hands or something to scoop up the water. Or directly from a stream or another water source…
To eliminate harmful bacteria, they boiled the water, heated it in the sun, or submerged hot iron into it. They also filtered impurities from their water by sifting it through sand and gravel.
Germs, bacteria, and viruses had not been discovered during most of the 1700s, so people did not understand why they got sick. They just knew that water made them ill. So instead of drinking water, many people drank fermented and brewed beverages like beer, ale, cider, and wine.
Most people either drew their water from the nearest conduit cistern or paid a “cob” or water-carrier to bring them their day's water supply in three-gallon tubs, which they carried through the streets on a yoke.
Our bodies are between 55% and 60% water, and we need to drink 2 to 3 litres of fluids per day to remain healthily hydrated. In the prehistoric past, our ancestors sourced their supplies from lakes, wetlands and rivers, but these amount to just 0.01% of all water on Earth today. Fresh water has always been scarce.
Distillation is one of the oldest methods of water treatment and is still in use today, though not commonly as a home treatment method. It can effectively remove many contaminants from drinking water, including bacteria, inorganic and many organic compounds.
Avoid using rainwater for drinking, cooking, brushing your teeth, or rinsing or watering plants that you intend to eat. Instead, use municipal tap water if it is available, or purchase bottled water for these purposes.
Disinfection has been applied for centuries. Two basic rules dating back to 2000 B.C. state that water must be exposed to sunlight and filtered with charcoal and that impure water must be purified by boiling the water and than dipping a piece of copper in the water seven times, before filtering the water.
Dehydration shows up on your face in the form of dry, ashy skin that seems less radiant, plump and elastic. Fatigue. If you're not replenishing your fluid intake, your energy levels could plummet and you could experience fatigue and brain fog.
Dehydration happens quickly, causing extreme thirst, fatigue, and ultimately, organ failure and death. A person may go from feeling thirsty and slightly sluggish on the first day with no water to having organ failure by the third.
Water covers 72% of the Earth. Unfortunately, we can't use most of that as drinking water. Over 97% of the Earth's water is salt water in oceans and seas. Another 2% is frozen in icecaps and glaciers.
A couple of groups dug pits, filling them with coals and then lining them with either wet clay or a deer hide. Others poured water into birch bark or pig stomachs (procured from a Chinese supermarket).
Fossils show some human ancestors had four legs, a finned tail and lived in water.
Drinking untreated water such as bore water, river water or spring water (including mineral springs) can lead to illnesses such as gastroenteritis and diarrhoea. Gastrointestinal illnesses can be particularly severe for the very young, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems.
Freshly melted snow is generally considered to be safe to drink without further treatment, however it should not be assumed that because water is frozen that it is safe to drink. Exercise the same caution for melted Ice as you would for standing water, and if in doubt boil the water for 10 minutes.
As tempting as it may be for your dog, it's important to remember that rainwater is not always safe for your dog to drink. When rainwater hits earth, it comes in contact with several contaminants or chemicals that aren't safe to drink.
Never drink water from a natural source that you haven't purified, even if the water looks clean. Water in a stream, river or lake may look clean, but it can still be filled with bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can result in waterborne diseases, such as cryptosporidiosis or giardiasis.
Many families had to boil their well water to kill off contaminants. When well-digging failed to reach water, families were forced to collect rainwater in barrels, cisterns, and pans.
In the 8th century A.D., Arabian alchemist Geber distilled water to purify it for „the imbibition of spirits and clean medicines‰ according to The Quest for Pure Water. In the 11th century, a Persian physician named Avicenna recommended that travelers strain water through a cloth or boil water.
The Roman aqueducts supplied fresh, clean water for baths, fountains, and drinking water for ordinary citizens.
A more widely accepted theory is that, when human ancestors moved from the cool shady forests into the savannah, they developed a new method of thermoregulation. Losing all that fur made it possible for hominins to hunt during the day in the hot grasslands without overheating.
Cooking helps make food tender and easier to eat. In order to cook food, our distant ancestors had to learn how to use fire. The earliest known fire pits, or hearths, are about 800,000 years old. These pits are thought to belong to Homo erectus, an early human ancestor.
Older adults experience body composition changes over time that leave them with less water in their bodies to start with. Seniors are more likely to take medications that increase dehydration risk.