In the eighth contribution to our ‘Environment & History’ series, post-graduate researcher Davide Martino reflects on his research into hydraulic philosophy in early modern European cities, with a focus on the water supply of early Augsburg. Davide points to how, historically, awareness of the services provided by an ecosystem could result in unintentional eco-schemes, in a process not dissimilar to those which the EU is seeking to create today. The findings suggest paying closer attention to how historical and present-day communities’ understand and utilize the benefits of local ecosystems.