[Espy]

People generally underestimate the importance of the ancient roman aqueducts and they always think of the tall structures w arches; in reality, most of the roman aqueduct system actually ran underground

modern scientists argue about how much the romans actually knew about fluid dynamics and physics, but the main point is that the aqueducts brought clean, running water to the cities in the form of agricultural uses, civic uses, and even residential uses

like

PUBLIC BATHS. FOUNTAINS. IRRIGATION.

all the aqueducts were built at a very, very slight gradient, just enough to keep the water from being stagnant, while also providing enough pressure downstream/ down-channel

along the aqueducts, there were systems for filtering the water and making it potable. these systems (and the workers it needed) were funded by the general public, and also important civil figures. (a lot of people felt it was their civic duty to keep the aqueducts well-maintained, and gladly chipped in and paid out of pocket.)

i forgot which emperor it is, who donated a huge amount of his own personal funds to the water management system, and all later emperors followed his precedent

CIVIC DUTY, YO

On farms and agricultural plots, there was a system in place where each household could siphon off x amount of water. this was to ensure fair distribution of water, and that people downstream would have the same amount.

without the aqueduct system, rome would never have been able to expand as much as it did, bc that entire area had pretty severe water shortages during the summer. the aqueducts helped make sure that farmland and the like could still be productive during the hot seasons, and that resources could be produced year-round. this allowed for massive population growth.

obviously the aqueduct system first started out in rome, since it was the... most important city... but later on it spread to the other big cities, and even to smaller towns.

on the industrial front, the running water was used in hydraulic mining, which was another factor in the rapid expansion of and advancements in the roman empire