WATER TANK: BEFORE THE SUPPLY SYSTEM, THE METER, AND THE FIRE HYDRANT

 
  
 

The water supply in the city of Porto, for those who did not have private wells, was provided by public fountains, fed by spring water. Or, from the 18th century onwards, by water carriers. They were responsible for the water trade: distributing water collected from public fountains, selling it on the streets and to the wealthier residents at their homes. 

 

The water carrier, who can be seen as the predecessor of the domestic water supply system, was responsible for distributing water in the city.

Being a water carrier was a profession, duly regulated and legalized by law, through a license issued by the City Council. The water carrier's badge in Porto was a metal plate with the registration number of each water carrier, which was worn on the chest as identification. 

The water carriers, as water sellers, supplied water under a contract established by mutual agreement with those who received the water. The water carrier supplied water in the morning and afternoon for a payment of no more than half a dozen reis per month, the unit of measurement being the barrel. For this reason, the shape and dimensions of the barrel were regulated, and it had to be oblong in shape, with a fixed price.

The sources that should be exploited for supply were also established for the profession. In 1821, the City Council determined the public sources reserved for water carriers, namely those that had two spouts. In these cases, one spout was reserved for water carriers and identified with signage. The most frequented were those on Rua do Laranjal, Cedofeita, Largo do Padrão, Rua do Bonjardim, Rua Mouzinho da Silveira, Rua das Oliveiras, Rua das Fontainhas, and Rua do Bolhão, due to the strong presence of the merchant bourgeoisie in those neighborhoods.

The profession of water carrier was more than just distributing water, it also included fighting fires. In 1395, a royal charter from King João I outlined measures to be taken in firefighting, appointing women as responsible for this task, as they were the ones who daily supplied the house with water collected from public fountains with their jugs carried on their heads. They were therefore the most knowledgeable about the location of water in the city and carried a jug with them to transport water, thus providing the conditions for firefighting. 

With the commercialization of water and the creation of the profession of water carrier in the 18th century, they became responsible for assisting in the event of a fire, organized into companies, each assigned to a group of fountains in the city. In 1722, the Companhia do Fogo do Porto (Porto Fire Company), also known as Companhia da Bomba (Pump Company), was founded. Water carriers were required to supply water for the pumps to operate as soon as they heard the church bells, which identified the parish where the fire was taking place by the number of chimes, marked on the fire boxes as a legend of the “fire bells” installed in the main churches.

Three groups were formed, consisting of water carriers registered with the City Council, each assigned to a Company and each Company to a set of public fountains. The first group consisted of the fountains of Batalha, Santa Catarina, Rua Chã, and S. Sebastião; the second by those in Praça de Santa Tereza, Rua do Almada, Rua das Oliveiras, Rua da Fábrica do Tabaco, Praça Nova, and Porta do Olival; and the third by those in S. Domingos, Taipas, Congostas, Praça da Ribeira, Fonte da Areia, and Fonte da Colher. Each Company had a main fountain for supply, the first being that of Batalha, the second that of Praça de Santa Tereza, and the third that of São Domingos. Each main fountain had a foreman, and the remaining fountains had a supervisor, all of whom were subordinate to the Captain Commander of the Fire Brigade.

Starting in 1868, steam pumps were introduced, making it mandatory to install fire hydrants in buildings.
 

In the 18th and 19th centuries, they were known as “Galegos” because most of them were of Spanish origin. These men were natives of Galicia who sought better living conditions in the urban centers of Porto, Douro, and Lisbon to ensure the subsistence of their families, mostly from Pontevedra and cities on the banks of the Miño River. 

For an iconography of the typical figure, based on 19th-century engravings and photographic records of an ethnographic nature, their attire was characterized by headgear, shoulder protection made of fabric or leather, and an oblong barrel with a metal handle at one end. 
 

In Galician, “Augador” refers to the expression “auga,” which is still used today by older generations in Portugal.

“Aú, Aú! Fresh water, cool water!”

“Aú” was the abbreviation for “auga,” water in Galician, which water carriers shouted through the streets as a form of musical auction.