Eber’s water towers – Portugal

The leading trade journal in Sweden, VA-tidskriften Cirkulation has since 1998 an article series under the heading Ebers vattentorn (Eber’s water towers), where Eber Ohlsson with text and photo presents interesting water towers in the world (except Scania and Sweden). Below is a free translation to English of these texts.

Eber’s water towers in Cirkulation 5/2008

A free translation to English:

In the town Faro on the Portuguese coast of Algarve are there two water towers that are so similar that they could be called twins. One tower is standing in the west and logic is the other tower standing in the east. The explanation of the distinctive tower design could be the allusion of the Moorish past period.

The towers supply together 220 m³ water per hour on average in the high zone of the town. The tower of the picture is built 1967 in a project under the management of engineer F. G. Burnay de Mendonça. The high reservoir has a volume of 1 000 m³, which is supplemented by a low reservoir of 4 600 m³ on the tower foundation.

Published 2009-08-20

Eber’s water towers in Cirkulation 7/2000

A free translation to English:

On a high river bank on the western bank of the river Tagus [Tejo], is there since 1979 standing a yellow water tower in concrete. The carrying part of the tower consist of three half cylinders, with the openings out. The half cylinders is transformed in the upper part into three closed cylinders, that together make up the reservoir on 1 000 m³. This water tower has the name in Portuguese Reservatório elevado do Rapouso.

The writer came once 1982 to the tower, and asked some questions about the water tower to the engineer that work with a pump installation in the basement. The engineer had no time to answer my questions, because he and his installation staff should go and have lunch, but if I was interested I could walk up in the tower.

That was done and up in the tower I got a marvellous view over the city that is on the other side of the river Tagus – Lisbon [Lisboa]. Nowadays is the water tower enclosed with a two metre high fence, and crested with barb wires.

Published 2000-11-08