<P> The water coming from the nasoni is the same supplied to the city's households and thus safe for drinking . It is continuously running from the fountain through a hole at the bottom of the spout and then recycled if not used . Additionally, most nasoni have a hole located at the top of the spout, allowing thirsty citizens to drink from the fountain more easily by blocking the bottom hole and forcing the water upwards . </P> <P> The city of Rome began installing nasoni in the 1870s to provide a water supply for citizens . The exact year is not known: sources note both 1872 and 1874 as the first time a nasone was installed . The fountains' design went unchanged for decades . At the peak of their popularity, there were approximately 5,000 nasoni in Rome . While their number has dwindled as domestic water connections have become commonplace, there are still between 2,500 and 2,800 nasoni in greater Rome today, one tenth of them in the historical center . </P> <P> Acea, the company responsible for maintaining the city's water supply, installed ten casa dell'acqua (lit . "house of the water") kiosks in 2015 . Described as "hi - tech nasoni", these provide free tap and sparkling water as well as information for tourists and a place to recharge mobile devices . </P> <P> Aside from the social - welfare benefit of supplying drinkable water to citizens (especially those without their own access), nasoni are required because of the specifics of the Roman water - supply system: it requires ventilation valves which are provided by the nasoni . In addition, constantly flowing water keeps the water in the pipes from stagnating, which might otherwise allow bacteria to proliferate . While this has been criticized by some as a waste of drinking water, only 1% of the water is lost through non-stop nasoni, compared with nearly 50% due to old and leaky pipes . According to estimates, operating a nasone costs the city of Rome approximately 3--5 Euro per day, depending on the strength of the water flow . </P>

Where does the fountain water in rome come from
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