Before the Marathon dam was created, water scarcity and inadequate sanitation were a common issue for Athenians. From 1834 and the establishment of Athens as the capital of the Modern Greek State, residents and the Municipality of the city were dealing with the water supply problem with whatever pre-existing means they had. They repaired the Aqueduct of Hadrian, constructed in 140 A.D., they built smaller aqueducts, as well as fountains, wells, and cisterns. They attempted to exploit the springs of Parnitha and the city’s underground water. Housewives had no other solution but to buy potable water from the "neroulades", who were wandering water sellers who transported water from the lush, green areas of Kifissia and Marousi. Athens had always been known for its water shortage. Even the myth of the contest between Poseidon and Athena for the patronage of the city testifies it. By 1924, many proposals had been suggested in order to resolve the water supply issue such as the Thriasian Plain, Lake Stymphalia, even Mount Lycabettus!