I am searching for more knowledge as to what limitations were placed upon delivery to in-house water supply systems during the Roman Era. These limitations could have been via code, pipe size, pipe length, use or limit of expanders (sections of pipe that rapidly increase in diameter to increase flow-rate).
The central cistern / main pressure pipe (name?) was tapped and pipes moved water to the affluent households. At some point water theft became a significant issue and laws were enacted to prevent 'taking too much'. This was during the Roman era, in an unknown region.
The use of an expander nozzle attached directly to or close to a distribution reservoir, at high pressure, will cause an increased flow and negatively impact others tapped into the system.
At some point a water commissioner or other position decreed that some length of standardized pipe must be used prior to increasing the size of a pipe or expansion nozzle.
Roman water commissioner Julius Frontinus did speak about water piracy but I can only find references to tapping the aqueduct, not the sneakily use of different sized pipes to get better water pressure inside houses.
(Background: I believe I came across it in a Fluid Dynamics book for Chemical Engineering but am unable to locate any detail nor find the reference in my college books. I also studied Roman History and Latin for 6+ years and don't have it notated. )
It wasn't so much theft in household as 'pressure'. There's only so much of that to go around based on head and utilization of an expander lowers the available head for others. Can I get away with 'it's complicated'?