Really does seem kinda horrifying from a modern sanitation standpoint but - I really love the idea of it, and I guess if you lived in a community committed to maintaining it, you could minimize any danger. (You could probably do some smart natural filtration stuff too, which is maybe already a part of their canal infrastructure.)
a whole town of water features is so darling and lovely. Seems like it’d be real interesting to stay there and ‘immerse’ yourself in the cuisine / culture.