VietNamNet Bridge - Nearly 140 years old and built by the French, the water tower at the Saigon Water Supply Corporation (Sawaco) is the oldest of its kind in HCM City. It is a relic site in the city.


Located inside the grounds of the Saigon Water Supply Corporation, near the Turtle Lake in District 3, the water tower covers a large area with 3 floors, over 20 m high and 10 m in diameter.

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

On the top are two water tanks which provided 1,000-1,500 m3 per day for the Saigonese in the old days. Seen from below, the water tower is the shape of a polygon but overall the architecture is elliptical due to the combination of the two water tanks.

 

 

 

 

The tower was built by the French. Water was taken from shallow wells to the central well for processing. The water was then pumped up to the water tower to distribute to users via a system of pipelines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The two tanks are made of stainless steel and are cone-shaped.

 

 

 

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The door. After 1975, the bottom of the tower was converted to Sawaco office but it is now used for storage of the company’s documents.



  

 
 

An employee of Sawaco said the entire architecture is still very strong. Only some walls are peeling, exposing the brick layer.

 

 

 
 

The foundation was built with rock to support the weight of the two steel tanks and the pressure when the tower operates.

 

 

 

 

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The windows were open to wind and light.

 


  

 
 

Since the new water supply system was put into use in 1966, this tower is no longer used.

 

 

 
 

The roof of the water tower.

This is the second water tower in Indochina after the first tower was built in 1879 in Turtle Lake, which was demolished in 1921. Recently Sawaco handed over the tower to the Saigon Co-op to turn it into a tourist site.
Photo: VNE

Le Ha