Page 64 - Urban water supply handbook

URBAN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE: A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

URBAN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE 1.63

FIGURE 1.50 Pompeii, showing locations of public water fountains. Circles have a radius of
50 m. [As presented in Crouch (1993) from Eschebach (1983)]

Public Fountains. Figure 1.46 illustrates a public fountain at the base of a water
tower (secondary castellum) located in Pompeii. The public fountains in Pompeii
were placed at somewhat evenly spaced locations (Hodge, 1992) as shown in
Fig. 1.50. The radius of each circle in the figure is 50 m, so fountains were com-
monly spaced about 100 m apart in Pompeii. Figure 1.51 shows two public water
fountains placed back to back along a street. Because there is no water tower at
these fountains, water was supplied from a water tower at another location.
The fountains in Pompeii were oblong-shaped stone basins (typically 1.5 m
1.8 m and 0.8 m high, as described by Hodge, 1992, p. 306). As shown in Figs.
1.46 and 1.51 the delivery spout was on a stone pier overlooking the stone basin.
Examining Fig. 1.51 you can see the overflow weir from which water normally
flowed into the streets and then into the drainage system. Most likely, overflow
water was used for street cleaning and helped flush the sewer system. Drain holes
were also placed at the bottom of the stone tanks and were plugged. The plug was
removed for purposes of cleaning the stone basins.

1.5 AFTER THE ROMANS

The fall of the Roman Empire extended over a 1000-year transition period called
the Dark Ages. During this period, the concepts of science related to water
resources probably retrogressed. After the fall of the Roman Empire, water sani-

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