Why was the Sweet Water Canal built during construction of the Suez Canal?

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Cargo ships travel along the wide Suez Canal in Egypt, bordered by sandy desert on one side and greenery on the other. — Suez Canal Ships in the Suez Canal in Egypt. One of the world's most important shipping lanes, the Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.

The Sweet Water Canal (comprising the Al-Ismāʿīliyyah, Al-Suways al-Ḥulwah, and Al-ʿAbbāsiyyah canals) was constructed during the building of the Suez Canal primarily to provide a reliable supply of drinking water to the workforce in the arid region surrounding the construction site.1

Completed in 1863, this project was essential for sustaining the laborers, as the area lacked natural freshwater sources. By bringing water from the Nile delta along the Wadi Tumelat to Suez and Port Said, the canal helped mitigate the harsh environmental conditions that, alongside labor troubles and disease, had slowed the progress of the main maritime canal project.1