The abundance of water in Roman cities was celebrated already in antiquity and became manifest in numerous different buildings. The present study discusses public and private fountains, important waterworks, which ensured most of the drinking and service water supply in ancient cities. Deep wells, cisterns and fountains in selected cities of the western half of the Roman Empire will be examined in a comparative analysis. Written sources, in addition to the archaeological record, provide important insights into the symbolic signification of running water and the assessment of ground- and rainwater. The examination of both material and written sources enables a comprehensive survey of the usage of various sources of water from the republican to the imperial period.