This is evident from research conducted by historian . He studied how prolonged droughts between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries affected the water supply in the two Hanseatic cities. His research included examining the functioning of wells, pumps, canals, and the later transition to piped water systems.
Effects
Moerman explains: “The effects on both cities were sometimes similar, sometimes different. During drought, for instance, city authorities would sometimes order wells and pumps to be deepened in order to reach sufficient groundwater. Water use was also restricted, and canals and waterways were cleaned to ensure proper water flow.”
Alternative Power Sources
He continues: “In Zutphen, where water mills were vital for local industry, alternative power sources were used during dry periods—such as mills powered by horses, known as ‘rosmolens’.” All in all, drought did not lead to severe problems with water or food shortages, and minor adjustments over time were enough to keep things running smoothly.
Insight
According to Moerman, the research offers valuable insight into how drought influences the workings of society. “In the past, people were quite capable of responding to extreme dry periods by making small adjustments to the system and introducing measures that we still use today, such as limiting water usage.”
Window Washing
Moerman illustrates this with a few examples: “Whereas today people are urged to take shorter showers, not to fill swimming pools, or refrain from washing their cars during dry spells, in earlier times they were asked not to use water for washing windows or scrubbing the streets.”
Alternative Water Sources
Moerman does note a difference between earlier droughts and those we face today: “Nowadays, we use water—tap water—for a much wider range of purposes, whereas in the past people relied on multiple sources. During droughts, they would switch to alternatives, such as water from the river IJssel or collected rainwater.”
Archival Research
For his research, Moerman conducted extensive archival work to understand how water supplies functioned from the sixteenth to the late nineteenth century. Moerman says: “I focused mainly on records from city authorities to see when drought began to pose a problem and what measures had to be taken. This allowed us to classify drought periods from mild to severe and to examine how society responded. Looking at the long term, we could determine whether and how the water supply system was adapted.”
Photo: Regional Archive Nijmegen