13.4: Data Dive- Aqueducts of Rome

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Melissa Ha and Rachel Schleiger
Yuba College & Butte College via ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative

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Overview

All drinking water sources are subject to contamination that require appropriate treatment to eliminate disease-causing pathogens. Sources of water contamination can originate from naturally occurring chemicals and minerals (arsenic, radon, uranium), local land use practices (fertilizers, pesticides), manufacturing processes, and sewage. If left untreated, the presence of contaminants in water can lead to adverse health effects, both acute and chronic. This is why the achievement of the aqueducts of Rome are so astounding! Not only did they water to the residents of Rome, but somehow the Romans were able to identify the cleanest water sources for drinking without the most basic testing equipment. In 1995 Peter Aicher published a book titled, “Guide to the aqueducts of ancient Rome.” The book discusses a lot of the history surrounding the 11 aqueducts while also integrating a more modern analysis of the quality of the water based on where it was sourced. The table below provides a brief overview of the aqueducts along with several notes about their use:

Table \(\PageIndex{a}\): Aqueduct characteristics and notes about water volume, source, quality and use. Table by Rachel Schleiger (CC-BY-NC) modified from data in Aicher PJ 1995.

Aqueduct	Construction Complete	Volume (units)	Water Source	Water Quality	Notes
Appia	312 BC	31	Springs	Good	All underground except inside walls 70% for civic/imperial uses
Anio Vetus	272-269 BC	74	River	Poor	Used for baths, gardens, and industry
Marcia	144-240 BC	78	Springs	Best	Pure/cold/hard water Supplied baths
Tepula	126-125 BC	7	Streams	Good	Warm water (60F)
Julia	33 BC	20	Springs	Good	N/A
Virgo	22-19 BC	41	Marsh	Good	Almost all underground, some along channel Supplied baths
Alsietina	2 BC	7	Lake	Poor	Build to supply basin for mock sea battles
Claudia	38-52 AD	76	Springs	Good	Built several branches in the city
Anio Novus	38-52 AD	78	River	Okay	Quality was poor until later improved
Traiana	109 AD	47	Springs	Good	N/A
Alexandria	226 AD	9	Springs	Good	Served baths

Questions

How many of the 11 aqueducts do you think have drinkable water?
Does the above answer surprise you? Why/why not?
How many of the aqueducts with drinkable water come from a higher volume aqueduct?
Based on what you can observe in the notes, what did the Romans do when water wasn’t drinkable?
What is the most surprising thing to you about the data presented in the above table? Why?

Attribution

Rachel Schleiger (CC-BY-NC)