List of aqueducts in the city of Rome
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This is a list of ancient Roman aqueducts in the city of Rome.
Introduction
In order to meet the water needs of its population, the city of Rome was eventually supplied with 11 aqueducts by 226 AD[citation needed], which were some of the city's greatest engineering achievements[citation needed]. Estimates of total water supplied in a day by all aqueducts vary from 520,000 m3 (140,000,000 US gal) to 1,127,220 m3 (297,780,000 US gal)[1]: 156-7 [2]: 347 , mostly sourced from the Aniene river and the Apennine Mountains[citation needed], serving a million citizens[citation needed]. Most of our information about Roman aqueducts come from statistics compiled in the late 1st century AD by Sextus Julius Frontinus, the Curator Aquarum[1]: 152 .
These estimates may not have considered water loss. Modern engineers have questioned the validity of these figures and measured Anio Novus limestone deposits to estimate the average wetted perimeter and surface roughness corresponding to only 2/3 of the flow figure given below.[3]
| Name | Year begun | Year completed | Length (km)[2]: 347 |
Height at source (m) |
Height in Rome (m) |
Average gradient (%)[2]: 347 |
Capacity (m3 a day)[4][2]: 347 |
Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua Appia | 312 BC[5]: 23 | 16 | 30 | 20 | 0.06 | 73,000 | ||
| Aqua Anio Vetus | 272 BC | 269 BC[5]: 29 | 64 | 280 | 48 | 0.36 | 175,920 | |
| Aqua Marcia | 144 BC | 140 BC[5]: 67 | 91 | 318 | 59 | 0.27 | 187,600 | |
| Aqua Tepula | 125 BC[5]: 147 | 18 | 151 | 61 | 0.5 | 17,800 | ||
| Aqua Julia | 40 BC[6]: 406 | 33 BC[5]: 157 | 23 | 350 | 64 | 1.24 | 48,240 | |
| Aqua Virgo | 19 BC[5]: 167 | 21 | 24 | 20 | 0.02 | 100,160 | ||
| Aqua Alsietina | 2 BC[5]: 179 | 33 | 209 | 17 | 0.6 | 15,680 | Considered the worst in quality, and used as drinkable source only when other supplies were unavailable[2]: 169 . | |
| Aqua Anio Novus | 38 AD[7]: 150 | 52 AD[7]: 150 | 87 | 400 | 70 | 0.38 | 189,520 | Considered after Alsietina the worst in quality[2]: 169 . |
| Aqua Claudia | 38 AD | 52 AD[5]: 187 | 69 | 320 | 67 | 0.38 | 184,220 | |
| Aqua Traiana | 109 AD[5]: 331 | 58 | - | - | 0.38 | 113,920 | ||
| Aqua Alexandrina | 226 AD[5]: 341 | 22 | - | 50 | 0.1 | 21,160 | ||
