Clean Water

Before the Romans came to Britain, people would have to go to rivers and streams to collect water in containers, and then carry them home. The Romans had a very different approach, building systems that made sure towns had a constant supply of water. This was very important as Roman towns used much more water than previous towns and villages. For a start, they were much bigger and had more people living in them. Also, the public baths they liked to visit needed a lot of water.

Because it wasn't always possible to build a town near a river, the Romans developed a clever way of getting water from either rivers or springs into the towns. They would build an aqueduct from the source of the water to the town. An aqueduct was a channel dug into the ground and lined with clay to stop water leaking into the surrounding ground. Aqueducts would run downhill away from the source of the water, and would be suspended over valleys on tall bridges until the water reached the town. The water would then be divided into smaller channels that ran through the town next to the buildings. Lead pipes would take the water inside the buildings where it could be used. Although this was a very clever system, the Romans didn't know that lead was poisonous!