Buzz
A beautiful feature in a pool or lake from which water jets are propelled into the air. Barry Winiker / Getty ImagesMain Points
- The public fountains of ancient Rome operated without the use of motors, relying instead on gravity-fed water sourced from aqueducts that brought water from the surrounding hills into the city.
- The water was stored in large cisterns, which provided the necessary elevation to create water pressure for the fountains to function.
- The elevation of the cistern alone created enough pressure, with each foot of height adding 0.43 psi, enabling the fountains to spray water without mechanical pumps.
Ancient Rome sourced all its water (approximately 38 million gallons a day according to Encarta) through a network of aqueducts. The water flowed to the city via gravity, but as it came from the surrounding hills, it could be stored in large cisterns, which functioned similarly to modern water towers, the main difference being that cisterns are filled from the top.
The water from the cisterns was either directed through pipes to private homes or delivered to public distribution points. Fountains were both decorative and practical, offering a place for people to fill their buckets. The cisterns provided the necessary height to generate the pressure needed for the fountains to spray water. As explained in How Water Towers Work, every foot of height produces 0.43 pounds per square inch (psi) of water pressure, meaning cisterns don't need to be very tall to create enough pressure for a fountain display.
Here are some interesting links:
- How Water Towers Work
- Patrons, Ego, and the Fountains of Rome
- The History of Plumbing - Pompeii & Herculaneum
- Rome: The Eternal City
