Consisting of an aqueduct, water towers, canals, ornate fountains and hundreds of bridges, the 800-year old water management system of the city of Augsburg Germany, was listed as a World Heritage Site 2019. The 2000-year old city’s water system has evolved in successive phases since the 14th Century and has provided clean drinking water and sanitation to the area since the Middle Ages. The city’s engineers were forerunners in damming and redirecting river water from the Lech, Wertach and Singold streams.
The water flowed through hollowed pine logs connected with metal casts to ornamental fountains in the city, including the Mercury and Hercules fountains.
It also entered the city’s butchers house, the Stadtmetzg, where the flowing water helped to cool the meat and dispose of the waste.
Later water power was used for industry, with water wheels driving mills and pumping stations as Augsburg became an early centre of textile and paper production.
With the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, the city saw the creation of the first large hydroelectric power plant, at nearby Wolfzahnau.
One of the waterways, the Ice Canal, was designed to keep free floating ice from entering the city, and in 1970 became the world’s first artificially created whitewater canoe course, used for the 1972 Olympics.
Picture Credit : Google