Aqueducts in Civilization 6: A Deep Dive into Housing and City Growth

Aqueducts in Civilization 6 are district-like structures that address your city’s housing needs, particularly vital in the early game. They provide housing and require a specific adjacency to both the City Center and a freshwater source (Mountain, Oasis, Lake, or River), following precise placement rules to function. The amount of housing provided depends on whether the city already has fresh water or not: +6 Housing if the city lacks fresh water, and +2 Housing if it already has access. Aqueducts require the Engineering technology to be researched and cost 50 Production to build. Importantly, while they act like districts, they do not count towards your city’s district limit. Proper aqueduct placement is crucial for maximizing city growth, especially in locations that lack natural fresh water sources.

Understanding the Importance of Aqueducts

Without enough housing, your city’s growth grinds to a halt. Aqueducts offer a solution, especially in scenarios where you’re settling cities away from rivers or lakes. Mastering their placement and benefits will significantly improve your gameplay.

Fresh Water and Housing

The core function of the aqueduct is to deliver fresh water and boost your housing capacity. In Civilization 6, population growth is directly limited by available housing. If a city runs out of housing, it stops growing. This makes aqueducts essential for rapidly developing your cities, especially in early-game scenarios where you need to maximize your citizen count to work tiles and generate resources.

• No Fresh Water? +6 Housing: If your city is located in a desert or other dry region and lacks a river or lake, the aqueduct will provide a substantial +6 Housing, enabling significant population growth.
• Existing Fresh Water? +2 Housing: If your city already has access to fresh water, perhaps due to its location on a river, the aqueduct still provides a valuable +2 Housing bonus.

Strategic Placement

Placement of the aqueduct is key. Understanding the adjacency rules will help maximize your city’s potential.

• Adjacent to City Center: The aqueduct must be placed adjacent to your City Center. This is a non-negotiable requirement.
• Adjacent to a Freshwater Source: The aqueduct also must be adjacent to one of the following freshwater sources:
  • River: A river tile.
  • Lake: A lake tile.
  • Mountain: A mountain tile.
  • Oasis: An oasis tile.
• Edge Requirement: For Rivers, the River MUST be on an edge of the tile that is NOT directly between the City Center and the Aqueduct. This often trips up players new to the game. You cannot simply plop an aqueduct next to the river on the same side of the hex.

Aqueducts as a District Alternative

While aqueducts provide similar benefits to other districts, they crucially do not count towards your city’s district limit. This means you can build an aqueduct in addition to other essential districts like the Campus, Holy Site, or Industrial Zone. This adds immense value because it allows you to address your city’s housing needs without sacrificing valuable district slots needed for scientific, religious, or industrial development.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some frequently asked questions about aqueducts in Civilization 6 to further clarify their function and strategic usage:

1. Are Aqueducts considered districts? No, while they function similarly and are built in the same way, aqueducts do not count against your city’s district limit. This is a significant advantage.
2. What technology do I need to unlock Aqueducts? You need to research the Engineering technology to unlock the ability to build aqueducts.
3. What is the production cost of an Aqueduct? Aqueducts have a base production cost of 50 Production.
4. What happens if I conquer a city with an Aqueduct? The aqueduct remains in place and continues to function, providing its housing bonus to your civilization.
5. Can I build multiple Aqueducts in the same city? No, you can only build one aqueduct per city.
6. If I build an aqueduct and then gain access to fresh water later, does the Housing bonus change? No, the housing bonus is determined at the time of construction based on whether the city initially had access to fresh water. It will not change even if the city subsequently gains access to fresh water (or loses access to it).
7. Can Aqueducts be pillaged? Yes, like other districts, aqueducts can be pillaged by enemy units. Pillage will damage the aqueduct and remove housing benefit until repaired by a builder.
8. Can I build an aqueduct next to a Volcano? Yes! The game treats a volcano as a mountain for adjacency bonus, and you can benefit from this.
9. Can you build an Aqueduct on a hill? No. An Aqueduct must be built on a flat tile adjacent to the City Center and a qualifying freshwater source.
10. What if I have a city center next to a river, but the only available adjacent spot for the aqueduct also has a river? This is a common problem. The river must be on an edge of the tile that is NOT directly between the City Center and the Aqueduct. You won’t be able to build an aqueduct there. You’ll need to find a different city location or accept the lack of an aqueduct.
11. Does building a Dam affect Aqueduct placement? No, the Dams are not freshwater sources and do not affect aqueduct adjacency rules, which remain based on the River.
12. Does settling a city on a River Floodplain prevent me from building an Aqueduct? Not necessarily, but it can restrict your options. You still need a suitable tile adjacent to both the City Center and a qualifying freshwater source (River, Oasis, Lake, or Mountain) that meets the other adjacency rules. Floodplains can occupy these spots, preventing construction, but it depends on the specific map layout.
13. Are there any civilizations or leaders that have unique bonuses relating to Aqueducts? Some leaders and civilizations do have unique bonuses. For example, Rome’s unique infrastructure, the Baths, provide Amenities and Housing and act in a similar way to an aqueduct.
14. What other strategies can I use to boost housing in my cities? Granaries and Sewers will increase the housing in a city. Policy cards may increase housing output. Certain wonders like the Hanging Gardens will add to a city’s housing.
15. Where can I learn more about game-based learning concepts? You can explore valuable resources and insights at the Games Learning Society website: GamesLearningSociety.org.

Hopefully, this information helps you in your future Civilization 6 play through!