The Špania Dolina mine water supply system is a historic and very remarkable, hydrotechnical work that has served its purpose since the beginning of the 16th century. The water that flowed in its chutes for almost 400 years powered traction machines, stupas and other equipment throughout the Špania Dolina mining district.

The creation and operation of the Špania Dolina waterworks was directly related to the mining and processing of silver-copper ores from the Staré Hory – Špania Dolina ore deposit. The beginnings of its construction fall into the first half of the 16th century. It was created as part of the last and most economically and technically significant historical stage of the development of mining and metallurgy in the vicinity of Banská Bystrica.

It is known from contemporary documents that they used a combined horse gable and water wheel to drive the traction machines of the first deep shaft, the Ferdinand shaft, which they began to build in 1596. To drive the water wheel, they collected water from the surrounding springs and streams in a collecting ditch and brought it as a water drive to the machine room of the shaft. That was the time of the birth of the Špania Dolina mine water supply, its first stage. The construction of the water supply to Špania Dolina from the settlement of Bully dates back to 1604. The provision of water for the mines in Špania Dolina from sources near Bully represents the second stage of the Špania Dolina mine water supply system. In the Golden Book of Mining from 1764 and in archival maps and documents from the 18th century, it is stated that in this period the Špaňodolinský waterworks had a total length of about 35.4 km (17,455 fathoms) from Pusta dolina pod Prašiva to Špania Dolina. Of this, around 30.2 km of wooden chutes and 5.2 km (2,558 fathoms) of water ditches. Capturing the water sources below Prašivá in the Low Tatras and transferring their water to Špania Dolina was the third peak stage of the Špania Dolina mine water supply system. In this final form, the water supply was functional until the decline and demise of mining in the area at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The section from Prašiva to Bully was no longer maintained in 1896. The section from Bullov to Špania Dolina was still used for the supply of drinking water after that and disappeared during the First World War - around 1917.

The technical construction of the water supply was relatively simple but highly functional. A wider path (1.5 - 3.0 m) was created mainly along the slope contour in the rugged terrain. On the pavement, closer to the slope, in a depression or on pads (piles) were placed wooden gutters (approximately 4 - 6 m long) that were bolted to each other. The sidewalk next to them was used for daily errands. The type of gutters is not documented. They were apparently hollowed out of coniferous logs and had a semicircular profile with a diameter of 37-45 cm (12-14 in). From the energy performance of the point of view of the water supply, its transport capacity was important. Approximately, it is estimated that the Špania Dolina mine water supply to the distribution point Dolný Šturec transported approximately 60 l.s-1 of water. This water was managed very efficiently. Right at Dolný Šturec, she drove a sawmill. From there, the water was led through earthen ditches and in places also through troughs to the Mária shaft, from it to the opposite side of the basin to the Maximilián shaft, and then through the water tank near the church to the Ferdinand shaft. Then it powered the mill, stupa, served in the production of green paint, and flowed through a system of various sorting and washing grates. The water supply was gradually built in the direction from Špania Dolina. It is said that the spirit level was replaced by a groove made of bark into which water was poured. The hydropower and water management function of the Špania Dolina mining water supply is already a thing of the past.

In the future, the Špania Dolina mine water system deserves qualified historical research. Undoubtedly, there are a number of archival and other documents that will shed more light on its hitherto rather vague contours, based more on logical considerations than on demonstrable facts.