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Water is and has always been a rare commodity in bone-dry southern California, and Angelenos have self-taught civil engineer William Mulholland to thank for much of the liquid gold that pours out of their taps.

In the early 1900s, Mulholland designed and supervised the building of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, a controversial and vital conveyance system that brings roughly one-third of L.A.’s water from the Owens Valley in eastern California. The controversial project spurred what’s known as the California Water Wars, which pitted the agriculture interests in Owens Valley against the residents and politicians in Los Angeles. And, with drought a constant specter across Los Angeles (and much of the state), the geographic tensions between where water exists and where it’s needed remain fraught more than 100 years later.

Mulholland’s name is immortalized by the sinuous Mulholland Drive, which winds along the crest of the mountains between the Los Angeles basin and the San Fernando Valley. However, his career effectively came to an abrupt and ignominious end in 1928 when the St. Francis Dam, about 10 miles north of the city of Santa Clarita, failed just hours after he inspected it. More than 400 people died in the downstream deluge.

It was shortly after, in 1929, that Mulholland built a modest Spanish-style home in the desirable Moreno Highlands area above L.A.’s Silver Lake Reservoir, which was built as part of the L.A. Aqueduct project. The house has had many owners but since 2009, when it was scooped up for just over one million dollars, it’s been owned by Emmy-winning soap story scribe Rick Draughon, who had a hand in more than 1,700 episodes of the long running daytime drama “Days of Our Lives,” and TV/film editor Scott Gamzon, whose numerous credits include “The Apprentice,” “Friday Night Lights,” and most recently, the short-lived drama “Clarice.”

Listed at just under $2.2 million, the three-bedroom and three-bathroom split-level home measures in at a tad more than 1,900 square feet. A casual, unpretentious blend of vintage details and up-to-date creature comforts, there are 12-foot beamed ceilings and an arched decorative fireplace in the living room. Throughout are inlaid wood and Saltillo tile floors, pointed-arch doorways, and tons of built ins designed to complement the home’s architecture. Some of the more modern conveniences include an array of solar panels, a water-conserving automated irrigation system, a Tesla charger in the two-car garage, and a comprehensive security system.

Arranged around an island snack bar with a butcherblock countertop, the kitchen and bathrooms have been updated in keeping with the home’s vintage vibe. One guest bedroom opens to the gardens and both guest rooms boast a private bath, while the primary suite also sports a bath of its own, along with French doors to the yard, and full wall of custom-built wardrobes and dressers.

Set into a hillside and most easily accessible from the cozily proportioned family room, the backyard offers a couple of sunny terraces. One is perfect for al fresco dining, while the uppermost terrace is a flat, grassy expanse with a peek-a-boo over-the-rooftops view.

The property is available through with Laura Thomas-Mullen at Sotheby’s International Realty.

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