Chapultepec aqueduct

Construction of an aqueduct that brought fresh water, suitable for cooking and drinking, from Chapultepec springs to Tenochtitlan began in 1418.

[5] Building relied on mud and plant material to create the foundation, which rested on artificial islands that were spread 3 to 4 meters apart.

A wooden plank walkway flanked the aqueduct, making it easily accessible and a method of transportation from the city to the outlying areas.

[6] Once the water reached the city, it was delivered to small reservoirs and select households through a network of canals that extended in the four cardinal directions and branched off to individual streets.

[5] Erosion weathered away the compacted clay, and in 1449, heavy rains triggered a flood that destroyed the aqueduct and effectively shut down Tenochtitlan for weeks.

[5] The aqueduct was constructed using wood, carved stone, and compacted soil, with portions made of hollowed logs, allowing canoes to travel underneath.

He wanted to take the forest of Chapultepec for himself, but Charles V, King of Spain, denied his request and decreed that the springs were needed to provide the people with potable water and were thereby the property of the city of Tenochtitlan.

In an effort to reduce the possibility of external contamination, iron and lead pipes were installed to replace the open troughs during the 19th Century.

[13] Located on Chapultepec Avenue near Metro Sevilla, a small section, about twenty-two arches long, still survives today.