Roman authorities were very well aware of the vulnerability of aqueducts. The infrastructures regarding ageing, clogging up of pipes or damage caused by human activity along the conduits are frequently mentioned in ancient texts. Needs for running water in 4^th century cities of the Empire were high, especially in the new capital of Constantinople, which began to grow considerably at that period and where an extensive network of long-distance water supply was developed. Imperial constitutions reveal that, although the missions of urban water authorities remained unchanged with respect to the previous centuries, their means and resources were redistributed to meet new priorities.