Ancient Roman Aqueducts
An aqueduct is a water system in which water is channeled through tunnels, canals, ditches and structures guided to any place where it is needed. Ancient Rome had eleven aqueducts that were built between 312 B.C. and A.D. 226. The eleven aqueducts totaled over 260 miles in length, the longest being 59 miles. When the cities population was over a million, the distribution system used by Rome was able to provide over one cubic meter of water per day for each inhabitant: more than we use today. Although Ancient Persia, India, Egypt, and other Middle Eastern countries used aqueducts hundreds of years before Rome, the Romans are known to be the greatest aqueduct builders. Usually when people think of an aqueduct system, arched bridges come to mind. In fact, out of the 260 miles only 30 of them included these arches. For most of their length the early aqueducts were simply channels bored through the rock, from water intake in the hills almost to the distribution cistern in Rome. The depth of the
channel below ground in order to maintain a constant, very shallow flow throughout the length of the aqueduct; vertical shafts were bored at intervals to provide ventilation and access. Only in the final stretches was the conduit raised in arches to give a sufficient head for distribution of the water within the city. On some of the aqueducts there was a sedimentation tank, where the water flow slowed down and impurities were deposited. Where two or more conduits ran near one another there were places in which water could be exchanged between them, either to increase the flow of an aqueduct carrying little water or so that one of the conduits could be emptied for maintenance and repair. Channels where the water flowed were about three and a half feet by six feet, except where closed pipes were used. This allowed workers to walk throughout the length when the water supply had been cut off to inspect and maintain. When the aqueduct went through impermeable rock it was not lined, but where the rock was porous, and
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 693
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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