Systems and devices for water supply in Roman Hispania (Part I)

Abstract

The hydrological conditions, with strong imbalances between river basins, along with uneven rainfall and rugged terrain, posed the main challenges faced by roman engineers in Hispania in providing cities with an adequate water supply. These impediments became an opportunity to achieve effective management in the use and distribution of water across such a complex territory. Regarding techniques and the use of devices, Hispania contributed its own solutions for these reasons. In this first part, the systems involved in the supply will be addressed, leaving the aqueduct and its participating subsystems for a second installment.