Roman Aqueducts

Early in the Republics history the Romans began to resolve their water problem. Though built upon the Tiber River Rome found acquiring clean drinking water difficult, particularly as the Republic grew; each conquered region or kingdom brought its share of wealth and with it people.

The developed a system of aqueducts; the first of these they buried under the Appian Way (both built at the same time) and it carried a goodly amount of fresh water the city. It proved not enough and more were added, some beneath ground, other elevated high above it to bring water to the elevated portions of the city. Settling tanks were built in several of the aqueducts in order to sift the water of debris, mud and the like. Eleven major aqueducts eventually supplied the city of over a million with its drinking water.