because so the mills can get power
Because these new machines ran on water power, most mills were built near rivers.
They ran on water power
Rivers supplied water as a resource, water power in the form of water mills and transport for goods.
near a river
they are built for plumbing purposes
Many saw mills of the 1700's were built near woods. The saw mills were also built near or on top of water sources as a means of power and for easy transport.
Cotton mills, corn mills, etc. where built along streams and rivers to use water power to run the machinery. When steam-engines took over, the factories and mills could be built anywhere.
simply; the buildings that are near water.
near there raw material
Rivers are a water source for crops and drinking water.
water was used to power the mills because it was the only source of power in most cases.
Andrew Carnegie.