Water and Sanitation
23 episodes
#5888: Where Does the Rain Actually Go?
An inch of rain on one acre of pavement is 27,000 gallons. Cities have three ways to get rid of it — and all of them fail on purpose.
#5883: What Happens to Water Between the Plant and Your Tap
Utilities push 100 litres of treated water into the pipes. How much actually arrives? The answer is messier — and more interesting — than one number.
#5595: Roman Roads Still Running Under Modern Cities
The Aqua Virgo still pours into the Trevi Fountain. The Cloaca Maxima still drains central Rome. What keeps ancient infrastructure alive?
#5336: Cholera and the 3.4 Billion Without Safe Sanitation
Cholera is fast, cheap to treat, and entirely preventable — yet 3.4 billion people lack safe sanitation. Here's why the numbers don't add up.
#5178: Who Checks on Empty Houses — And What It Costs
Absentee owners pay a stranger to flush the toilets and photograph the water heater. The whole industry runs on trust — and a written report.
#4364: The Physics of Garbage Chutes and Reusable Liners
Why most reusable bin liner alternatives fail against the physics of a 20-floor garbage chute drop.
#4016: What's Really Inside That Jerusalem Trench
Those concrete pipes and giant cable spools? It's not what you think. Here's what's actually happening underground.
#3987: When the Street Opens Up: Underground Collapse in Israeli Cities
Why do streets suddenly collapse? Aging pipes, not construction, are the real culprit.
#3980: Sewers from Scratch vs. Victorian Patchwork
Do brand-new sewer systems outperform 150-year-old networks? The surprising answer has an expiration date.
#3979: Why Rain Hits Different in Cork vs Jerusalem
Why moderate rain knocks out power in Jerusalem but not Cork — and what "design return periods" reveal about infrastructure.
#3640: The Desert Empire That Out-Romaned Rome
The Nabataeans weren't just traders with pretty buildings. They built working water systems in 80mm of rain and invented the Arabic alphabet.
#3573: Can You Live Off-Grid in a Shipping Container in the Negev?
A pragmatic breakdown of whether a $1,300 shipping container in the Negev desert can actually sustain off-grid life.
#3321: How Deep Do Building Foundations Actually Go?
From garden sheds to the Burj Khalifa — what holds up our structures and why it matters.
#3045: How Many People Actually Lack Clean Water?
The 2.2 billion figure is more complicated than it looks. Here's what the data actually says.
#3030: Maya vs Aztec: Unpacking the Pyramids
Two advanced civilizations, centuries apart. Here's what you actually need to know.
#2873: Why Israel's Negev Desert Stays Empty Despite Being 60% of the Land
60% of Israel's land is empty Negev desert. Why can't they just build there to solve the housing crisis?
#2866: What Happens to Jerusalem's Unsorted Trash?
Jerusalem doesn't ask you to sort your trash. The machines do it instead — with hyperspectral cameras and air jets.
#2852: How Desalination Made Israel a Water Superpower
How Israel turned a catastrophic drought into a water surplus and used it to reshape regional diplomacy.
#760: How Drip Irrigation and Desalination Reshaped a Desert Nation
Discover how drip irrigation and desalination turned a desert nation into a global leader in water security and sustainable agriculture.
#756: Prepping Without a Bunker: Small-Space Resilience in Jerusalem
How do you prep for a crisis in a tiny apartment? Discover practical strategies for water storage, food tiers, and urban resilience.
#577: The Shadow City: Why Sewers Are Civilization's Last Frontier
Explore the hidden world of urban infrastructure, from Victorian brickwork to AI-powered robots and the battle against the "fatberg."
#547: The Thirst Tax: When Water Becomes a Luxury
Why is it so hard to find a drink in Jerusalem? Herman and Corn explore the history, economics, and public health of urban water access.
#149: The Infrastructure of a Desert Metropolis
Herman and Corn explore the engineering hurdles of building a sustainable, high-tech metropolis in the heart of the Negev desert.