A review of Ancient Roman water supply exploring techniques of pressure reduction

Abstract

The Ancient Roman water supply systems still leave us astonished when admiring the solidity of the ruins of aqueducts surviving around Europe. Some parts of these systems are still in use at present and prove the practical efficiency of Roman hydraulics in the principles acquired from the populations living in the different regions of the Empire. In Pompeii the urban water supply system stands as a clear example of the Roman planning of urban complex networks by using small water towers to serve a limited numbers of users. This allowed to control the derivations and their maintenance and operated a disconnection from the high pressure mains and the low pressure pipes, maintaining a fixed maximum height of water over the final points of discharge. Considering the techniques for pressure reduction as a method to control leakages, this paper examines the ancient Roman water supply system to deduce some applications to modern urban networks built in new housing establishments.

Connections to the Pompeii water supply network: artisanal and commercial establishments as places that consume water

“…6 In the Pompeiian case, this network had an unusual technical feature: a system of towers distributed throughout the town. They had a twin function: to permit the gradual reduction of pressure and to establish network connection points (Dybkjaer Larsen 1982;Peleg 1996;Wiggers 1996;Monteleone et al 2007).…”

“…simplified nomenclature for these last, defining them generically as food businesses, divided between catering establishments and those dedicated to retail sales (Monteix 2010a). We should not forget the town's commercial premises par excellence, the macellum (VII 9, X), the market devoted mainly to the sale of meat and fish and their derivatives (De Ruyt 1983;2000;2007).…”

“…They had a twin function: to permit the gradual reduction of pressure and to establish network connection points (Dybkjaer Larsen 1982; Peleg 1996; Wiggers 1996; Monteleone et al . 2007).…”

Rainwater harvesting system using a non-parametric stochastic rainfall generator

“…2 The practice dates back at least as far as 4000 years ago in Jordan, where surface runoff was harvested. 3 The Qing and Han dynasties used RWH over 2000 years ago, 4 and the use of RWH by the ancient Greeks, 5 Romans, 6 Indians, 7 and other cultures is well documented. RWH is both feasible and increasingly under consideration by many countries.…”

Η Παρουσία Του Νερού Στην Εξέλιξη Της Πόλης Των Αθηνών

“…Η ρωμαϊκή τεχνολογία έκανε περιορισμένη χρήση της ροής υπό πίεση, αντικαθιστώντας τα σιφώνια με γέφυρες νερού, και αυτό έγινε ένα χαρακτηριστικό σήμα των ρωμαϊκών υδραγωγείων (Zarkadoulas et al 2012). Η κατασκευή ενός αρχαίου ρωμαϊκού υδραγωγείου δεν ήταν διαφορετική από τη σύγχρονη πρακτική, και αρκετές σύγχρονες τεχνολογίες προέρχονται από τη ρωμαϊκή μηχανική, όπου από την πηγή, το νερό κυλούσε σε ένα ανοικτό κανάλι ροής (Monteleone et al, 2007). Επιπλέον, τους Ρωμαίους μηχανικούς τους αφορούσε περισσότερο η ποιότητα και η ποσότητα που προερχόταν από κάποια πηγή νερού περισσότερο από την απόσταση που το νερό έπρεπε να μεταφερθεί (Hodge 2000, Malissard 2001, Orengo and Alaix 2013, όπως αποδεικνύεται από πολυάριθμα παραδείγματα όπου τα υδραγωγεία τους κάλυψαν τεράστιες αποστάσεις προκειμένου να αποκτήσουν νερό καλής ποιότητας (Hodge 2002 p. 346).…”