Brief description

An artificial channel built to transport water from a distant source to a point of use, such as a city, farm, or industrial site.

Use / Function

Primary Use: Supplying fresh water for drinking, irrigation, and baths.
Secondary Uses: Powering water mills, mining, and waste removal (Sewage system).
Scale: Massive civil engineering projects spanning kilometers.

Gravity Flow: The entire system relies on a continuous and very gradual downward slope to keep the water moving.
Bridges and Siphons: Arched bridges carry the channel across valleys, while inverted siphons (pressurized Pipes) can cross deeper depressions.

Surveying: Use tools like a Level (chorobates) to find a source higher than the destination and plot a route with a constant gradient.
Tunnels: Dig tunnels through hills to maintain a direct path and protect the water.
Construction: Build the channel (specus) out of Stone or Concrete lined with waterproof Mortar.
Bridges: Construct arched bridges to cross valleys or rivers using the Arch principle.
Distribution: At the destination, use a castellum (water tower) to settle debris and distribute water through Pipes.

Open Channel: Simple ditch for irrigation (high evaporation).
Covered Channel: Stone or concrete tunnel to prevent evaporation and contamination.
Pressurized Pipe: Modern aqueducts often use pumps and pressure, allowing them to go uphill.

Gradient: Too steep, and the water damages the structure; too shallow, and it stagnates.
Maintenance: Mineral buildup (sinter) must be cleaned regularly.
Cost: Extremely expensive and labor-intensive to build.
Vulnerability: Strategic target in war (cutting off water supply).