Blog, History of Water Supply

History of Water Supply: What We Learned from Early Water Management Systems

Innovative water management practices have sprung up all over the world in different forms, influenced by local hydrological and hydrogeological conditions. Every new settlement, town or city, demands an understanding of how local water sources work, including how to exploit and protect them. And this is no less important today than it was in the past.

Some of the oldest water management inventions are wells for drawing on underground sources, and cisterns and reservoirs for collecting rainwater and snowmelt. But there are other more surprising examples from past civilizations that continue to astound us today.  

Blog, History of Water Supply

History of Water Supply: Introduction

Throughout recorded history, water has played a sacred role in diverse cultures around the world. Springs, rivers, and rain have been worshipped for their role in safeguarding the ties that keep communities together. And just as an abundance of water can bring peace to a warring region, the consequences of water sources drying up and the devastation of drought are infamous destroyers of civilizations.

Blog, Hydrant History

Hydrant History: Standardizing Wet-Barrel Hydrants

Logos of water industry regulation agencies with vintage photo of woman opening hydrant with a wrench

After its first major fire in 1851, a San Francisco foundry began casting wet-barrel hydrants. A century later, Greenberg’s collaboration with water districts all over California had forever united hydrant engineering with municipal water management. But that didn’t mean the water providers and customers could live happily ever after. First, we needed assurance that the products storing and purveying water were safe, and that they functioned as a cohesive system. In short, the water industry needed regulation.

Success Stories, Testimonials

Hydrant Guard Success Story: Walnut Valley Water District, Part 2

Walnut Valley Water District (WVWD) has been serving their community for over 70 years. From a humble start managing groundwater connections for less than 1000 residents, to serving over 100,000 today, WVWD has continuously expanded their infrastructure to keep pace with the growing population. Today, they boast 500 miles of distribution mains, 31 reservoirs, 17 pump plants, and nearly 100,000,000 gallons of storage capacity.

Events, Updates

2023 Tri-State Seminar, August 7-10 in Las Vegas – Event Recap

Mel Plummer, Hydrant Guard Founder, at Tri-State Seminar 2023

The Las Vegas Tri-State Seminar has grown into a major event in the water industry calendar, and it keeps getting better (and bigger). This year’s event hosted 4,400 attendees, an increase of over 1,000 attendees from 2022. The theme was “Weird Science: Predicting and Protecting Human Health and the Environment.” With no holds barred (and all valves checked) the Hydrant Guard team went all-in for the show.

Success Stories, Testimonials

Hydrant Guard Success Story: The City of Pomona

Water workers installing Hydrant Guard check valves on a fire hydrant in Pomona, California

After more than 30 years in the water industry, Danny Aceves knows how things work on (and under) the ground. Since his promotion to Distribution Supervisor for the City of Pomona, he’s been tasked, among other priorities, with a bigger challenge: how to protect city assets and private property from broken hydrants.

Danny’s team deals with a hydrant shear roughly once every ten days. The vast majority of hydrant shears don’t make the news (in 15 years at Pomona, Danny hasn’t seen a single one picked up in the media). He considers this fortunate but doesn’t take it for granted.

Blog, Hydrant History

Hydrant History: The California Type Hydrant

Until 1850, hydrant innovation focused on dry-barrel designs that worked well in the cold. But California’s climate called for different types of fire hydrants.

San Francisco was reeling from a destructive blaze in 1851. At that time, there were no fire insurance companies: what was lost in the fire was lost forever. The city didn’t even have underground water networks. A new series of projects topped the municipal agenda: digging wells, channeling water, and casting hydrants. They just needed the right manufacturer for the job: who would step up?