Special Series

How the System Works

An ongoing essay series on the hidden mechanisms that support modern life — and what happens if we don’t maintain them

Written by Charles C. Mann

Illustrated by Julie Wallace

Essay | Spring 2025

A Spring in Every Kitchen

There is so little fresh surface water on Earth that if you collected it all into a ball, it would barely reach across New York City. Running water is a miracle — but the technology that brings it to us and takes the waste away is actually thousands of years old. The only barrier to staying hydrated today is political will.

Charles C. Mann

Header image: Julie Wallace