The oldest water tower in Saigon

The oldest water tower in Saigon

The oldest water tower which was built in the late 19th century at International Square by French Government, District 3, has 132 years of existence.

Located in the premises of Saigon - Sawaco Water Supply Corporation (District 3, Ho Chi Minh City), built by the French in 1886 and never repaired, it is one of the two oldest monuments of Saigon and Indochina. At present, Saigon has nearly 10 hydro towers for over 45 years. The first ship was built at the site of the Turtle Lake in the period 1878 - 1880 but was scrapped in 1921.

This work is designed in oval shape, about 25m high, above are two round stainless steel tanks with a capacity of 1,000 - 1,500 m3. The wall around the water tower is 1.6 - 2 meters thick with the task force.

Like the French architecture in Saigon, the focal point of the water is a series of doors, windows, vent holes designed design.

The whole wall of the water tower is painted yellow.

Water tower has about 20 ventilation holes. There are five holes in the fan assembly, mainly in the back of the building with small design. The entire ground floor and first floor are empty, there is a time Sawaco used this place to work and store records. Exterior lighting is located at the main door, still in operation.

When the mast works, in the rainy season, the water from the wells will flow to the central well, in the dry season, the pump must be used. From the central well, the water is treated and then pumped into the reservoir creating pressure to push water back to the households. After the first dam was damaged, the station stopped operating around 1930 - 1940, then used as a backup water supply in the case of Saigon water shortage. After a period of "mission", the water station ceased operation from 1965 to present.

Many of the walls of the masonry were peeled off, exposed to bricks and no longer as original.

This tower is recognized as a city-level architectural monument in 2016. The manhole management unit had the idea of ​​preserving the tower into a "museum" and a tourist spot. Previously, this 130-year-old architecture was put on the dismantling list but was fortunately kept at the last minute. Currently, to ensure safety, this place is not for visitors to visit because there are works being constructed adjacent to.