The Roman aqueduct was one of the most important innovations of the ancient world. The role of the Roman aqueduct was to transport water from far and wide and supply it to Rome's many necessities. The first Roman aqueduct was built in 312 BC by Appius Claudius Caecus (Cartwright 1). It was named Aqua Appia. This new engineering marvel saved many lives because the spring water near the city of Rome was not drinkable and was full of waterborne diseases. The aqueduct brought fresh water from mountain springs; it could cover distances of up to fifty-seven miles (UNRV 1). Major cities across the United States are now incorporating aqueduct design into their water transportation system. Los Angeles, Colorado, Arizona, Massachusetts, and even Washington DC all have aqueducts derived from Roman aqueducts. Although Roman aqueducts have long been surpassed by modern technology, they still serve as the basis for many important structures in the modern world today. The engineering of the Roman aqueduct was absolutely brilliant. The Romans relied solely on the force of gravity to transport water across large areas of land and reach the city. The slope of the aqueduct would only decrease a few inches every 100 feet (Layton 2). This gradual decline controlled the speed of the water so that it did not move too fast or overflow the walls of the aqueduct (Layton 2). The Roman aqueduct was built using arches that could span long distances. The arch was a specialty of Roman architecture. It was efficient because it required less stone and could withstand much more pressure thanks to the keystone. But only some of the Roman aqueducts used arches. Most of the aqueduct consisted of underside...... middle of paper ...... all based on the Roman example of the aqueduct. Modern aqueducts use more durable materials and new technologies to support and monitor aqueduct activity. They provide billions and billions of gallons of water to the planet's ever-growing population. Roman aqueducts have impacted our modern world in many ways. Mainly by showing us how to import clean water into our cities and creating many improved aqueducts. Although aqueducts are perfected today, the ideas and principles on which they were built come from the great Romans. Aqueducts gave the population access to fresh water when and where they needed it. Without water, Rome would not have become a major city in ancient Italy. This gave him the possibility of having fountains, baths; water was piped into homes and created an advanced civilization.