Water Works!

Did you know that the city of Prague uses four cubic meters of drinking water each second?

This month Rotary Club Prague International visited Prague's Podolí Waterworks. Prague is served with fresh water from two directions through aqueducts tens of kilometres long. The Podolí Waterworks is a standby facility that is only activated in an emergency, then it ramps up in a matter of hours to convert water from river Vltava to drinking water through a complex process of mechanical, chemical and biological filtration.

We visited the site's museum, where a small aquarium reminds visitors of the time when trout were used to detect water contamination in public waterworks. Private water supply networks appeared as early as 12th century in Prague, later a sophisticated network of pumps, water towers, clay and wooden ducts have been built to supply water to public fountains within the walls of Prague, only the richest families could afford to have running water in their houses.

 

We concluded the tour visiting the Podolí water tower and enjoyed the view of south of Prague at night time.

 

Pictures by Luu Anh Nhat. For more information about visits, tours and outings of our club visit the EVENTS diary on our webslie.

 

For more information about Prague water visit the PVS History of Prague Water website