There’s just one problem: Our miraculous water system is in peril.

“In Deep,” a new podcast from American Public Media, holds its nose and dives into the complexities of clean water. Hosted by former Marketplace reporter Jed Kim, the podcast covers the water system from top to bottom.

The eight-episode series reports on sewage, water treatment and the science that takes water from non-potable to crystal clear. That journey changed dramatically once scientists discovered that water transmits disease. In the first episode, “Dirty Water,” Kim covers how British physician John Snow cracked the secret of cholera transmission.

Snow lived in 19th-century London, a city known for dumping human excrement into its main water source, the Thames. The catch: They used the water for drinking, too.

Things came to a horrible head during a cholera epidemic that ravaged the city in 1854. During the epidemic, Snow came to a weighty realization involving infected residents and their use of a city water pump.

But the idea that water could transport disease didn’t immediately catch on.

To find out why, check out Kim’s conversation with historians about a pivotal moment in water history, then stay for in-depth reporting on wastewater treatment, the science of sewage pipes and how climate change may affect water systems.

You can find the series at Indeep.org or on your podcast program of choice.