Canal de Marseille

The Canal de Marseille is a major source of drinking water for the city of Marseille, the largest city in Provence, France. The canal's length along its main artery is 80 kilometres (50 mi) - though there is an additional 160 kilometres (99 mi) of minor arteries - and it services the entire district of Marseille. It took fifteen years of construction under the direction of the engineer Franz Mayor de Montricher, and was opened on July 8, 1849. It represents a significant achievement in nineteenth century engineering, combining bridges, tunnels, and reservoirs to create a canal over mountainous terrain. Until 1970, it was almost the sole water source for Marseille and currently provides two-thirds of the city's drinking water.

Marseille, located along the hilly Mediterranean seafront is only crossed by one irregular river, the Huveaune River, and its tributary, the Jarret River (). The waters were canalized in the 14th century, but over time became an open sewer. Water quality continued to decline and the distribution suffered due to lack of maintenance on the network.

Further, since the river suffered from a weak flow droughts were devastating to the region. For example, in 1834 the river nearly dried out completely and only 1 litre (1 US qt) was available per person, per day. In the 1830s, Marseille began to experience rapid population growth and in 1832-1835 epidemics of cholera convinced elected officials to act to restore health and ensure an appropriate quantity of water for the city.

This cholera epidemic caused the deaths of approximately 100,000 people throughout France. Originally of Asian origin, the disease spread along the Ganges valley in 1826, then the Caspian and Volga in 1829. In 1830, the disease overtook Moscow and Poland, and Hamburg in 1831. In March 1832, cholera reached Paris, where 18,000 died, and decimated the population in Haute-Provence. In July 1833, the epidemic reached Marseille. By December 1834, 865 were dead and in 1835 the death toll numbered 2,500.

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