5000 years ago residential areas in Mesopotamia (nowadays Iraq) were provided with water through canals between the Tigris and the Euphrates. They built and maintained an ingenious network of canals and pipes.
4000 years ago, at the river Indus (Pakistan) inhabitants also had an extensive network of water pipes. They even had public swimming pools!
The Greek had underground canals and galleries, hewn out of the rock to lead the water to dry pastures. And water supllies were stocked for meager times.
The Romans first created the aqueduct as solution for water supllies.

The arabic-islamitic immigrants ('andalusíes') brought their irrigation techniques to Spain (8th century). They renovated and improved that was left of the Romain Aera. They also built new irrigation systems.

From the 4th century bC arched constructions were built, above ground; these brought water from far away places to the needy. Sometimes the arches were decorated. 

In the second half of the 19th century waterworks were built in the Netherlands. With these they provided people with reasonably clean water. The Romans had waterworks from 312 bC; we were surely not one of the first.

Between 312 bC (Aqua Appia) and 226 aD 11 aqueducts were built in Rome (Aqua Alexandrina); big projects which could generate huge fame for the emperor, with it came support of the middle class and the senate. More information on the Roman emperors, click the picture of Tiberius.