New York City might have a reputation as a place where people can find anything they might want at any time of day. But for the first 217 years of its existence, the city only occasionally offered a glass of clean water. That changed when the Old Cro-ton Aqueduct began operating in 1842. Running from the Croton River upstate into two city reservoirs, the approximately 40 mi system was the first to bring high volumes of clean water into New York City. Writers describing the system as it was being built drew comparisons between the aqueduct and its Roman counterparts, even if it did not have quite the staying power as some of the ancient versions: Sections now sit underwater, and the city replaced it after 51 years of service, according to George H. Rappole in his article "The Old Croton Aqueduct." The first flush of drinkable water offered by the original Croton Aqueduct quenched the thirst of residents very well. And as the population continued to grow, so did the demand for high-quality water.
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