Roman Aqueducts Two Ways: Time Order and Problem and Solution

Text 1: Water for Rome

1Long ago, Rome was a small town beside the Tiber River. The early Romans got their water from the river, from springs, and from wells they dug in the ground. For a small town, this was enough.

2Over hundreds of years, Rome grew into a crowded city. The river water was often dirty, and the wells could not keep up. Then, in 312 BCE, the Romans finished their first aqueduct. An aqueduct is a long channel that carries water from far away. This first one ran mostly underground and brought spring water into the city.

3During the next few centuries, the Romans built more aqueducts. Later aqueducts were longer, and some crossed deep valleys on tall rows of stone arches. In time, eleven aqueducts carried water into the city of Rome. The Romans also built aqueducts for many other towns across their lands.

4At the height of the empire, water from the aqueducts flowed day and night. It filled public fountains on street corners, where people collected water for cooking and drinking. It also filled the large public baths, and it ran into the homes of some wealthy families.

5After the western part of the Roman Empire fell, about 1,500 years ago, few people were left to care for the aqueducts. Some channels cracked or filled with dirt, and the water stopped flowing. People sometimes took the stones away to build other things.

6Today, the ruins of Roman aqueducts still stand in several countries. A famous aqueduct bridge called the Pont du Gard still crosses a river in France. In Rome, one ancient aqueduct has been repaired many times, and it still sends water to fountains in the city.