The Garden of The Rotonda Padua - About The Aqueduct

About The Aqueduct

According to the increasing need of water during the time period up to Second World War, water had been taken from the water-layer of the town of Dueville.

After the war, this system was not efficient enough anymore, and the lack of water became a serious problem. Consequently, studies and projects to sort out this matter became more intensive, and from the year 1955 the Town Hall Council of Padua decreed to devise the construction of the “New Aqueduct”.

The most important action was building a second water-supplier called the “900 metres Conveyance”; whose construction was ended in 1961.

In the meantime, in order to cope with water emergency situations an auxiliary aqueduct was also built; it consisted in a system for purifying the superficial water of the river Brentella, which partially overcame the shortage of water complained by the citizens. Afterwards relevant actions were taken in order to improve the efficiency and the functionality of the whole water system in Padua. Among the many actions taken, we can mention the following most important ones:

• the drill of new wells in the area of Vicenza;
• the duplication of some parts of the water conveyors bringing the water in the 900 mm (3') Conveyance;
• the discovery of underground water layers in the area of Brentelle di Sopra (near Padua), the realization of pertinent works and a new drinkable water transportation system, thanks to the new aqueduct of the town of Anconeta (Vicenza);
• the contemporary realization of a new huge reservoir, the new central aqueducts in the area of Brentelle, Montà and Stanga;
• the reinforcement of the main water conveyors;
• the substitution of the old steel distribution pipes with some new ones made in the same material but covered with fibro-concrete, in order to avoid the corrosion caused by electro-chemical agents.
• the automation of the receiving, accumulation, elevation and distribution systems.

Padua aqueduct contributed to solve the problems related to water supply of some smaller distribution authorities. The following are the most significant data concerning the aqueduct management:

• water supply ... 45,000,000m3/per year (9,900 million gallons),
• maximum output volume ... 148,000m3/per year (32.5 million gallons),
• number users served ...92,000,
• length of pipes ... 965 km (600 mi),
• number of employees ... 245.