<Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> References </Th> </Tr> <P> The Pont du Gard is an ancient Roman aqueduct that crosses the Gardon River near the town of Vers - Pont - du - Gard in southern France . The Pont du Gard is the highest of all elevated Roman aqueducts, and, along with the Aqueduct of Segovia, one of the best preserved . It was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1985 because of its historical importance . </P> <P> The aqueduct bridge is part of the Nîmes aqueduct, a 50 - kilometre (31 mi) system built in the first century AD to carry water from a spring at Uzès to the Roman colony of Nemausus (Nîmes). Because of the uneven terrain between the two points, the mostly underground aqueduct followed a long, winding route that called for a bridge across the gorge of the Gardon River . </P> <P> The bridge has three tiers of arches, stands 48.8 m (160 ft) high, and descends a mere 2.5 centimetres (1 in)--a gradient of only 1 in 18,241--while the whole aqueduct descends in height by only 12.6 m (41 ft) over its entire length, which is indicative of the great precision that Roman engineers were able to achieve, using simple technology . The aqueduct formerly carried an estimated 40,000 m (8,800,000 imp gal) of water a day to the fountains, baths and homes of the citizens of Nîmes . It may have been in use as late as the 6th century, with some parts used for significantly longer, but a lack of maintenance after the 4th century led to clogging by mineral deposits and debris that eventually choked off the flow of water . </P>

What was the function of the pont du gard
find me the text answering this question