Waterline
WATER SERVICES
In the Middle Ages, water supply was not a municipal service, but rather a common need for the entire community, which was met through self-supply from public fountains. The role of the municipality was to facilitate this by building public fountains and the necessary water conveyance systems that fed spring water to the spouts. The municipality was responsible for hiring master masons to build aqueducts and fountains and to complete subsequent maintenance work. The profession of master mason specialized in the design and construction of architectural structures, which included fountains. There were master masons who specialized in this type of construction, which involved a technical component of hydraulics and required experienced masters. There are several references to “master mason of aqueducts,” “master of aqueducts,” and “master of water works” in the documentation of the time referring to the finishing touches, which were combined with the “master blacksmith,” the “master rigger,” and the “master plasterer” for these works.
It was only in the Modern Age that responsibilities extended to other concerns arising from the growth of the city, which brought with it the need for more water, such as the construction of underground cisterns for water storage, large water distribution networks throughout the city, and the regulation of the cleaning of public fountains. In 1613, the ruling of August 31 was created, a summary code of sanitary regulations that protected streams. In 1640, anyone caught committing such acts was fined by the “health officers.” Later, in 1732, the “city fountain and tank cleanliness inspectors” were appointed, a municipal position that would oversee the cleanliness of fountains and tanks. On February 12, 1787, the City Council compiled a series of rulings, which remained in use until the last decades of the 19th century, presented as a code entitled “On the debris and cleaning of the city,” controlled in public spaces by the almotacés. This new focus on the quality of the city's water materialized in the construction of the city's first water distribution network, with the project to build what would be Porto's largest water source, the Manancial de Paranhos. Thanks to the community, which offered to help cover the costs of such construction, Porto was equipped with a network of underground galleries and aqueducts that supplied public and private fountains with abundant, good-quality water.
In the 19th century, driven by advances in industry and science, concerns about health worsened due to population growth, and the decision was made to equip the city of Porto with the first industrial water supply system, powered by steam and built and operated by a Parisian company. Hygiene and health were also ensured by the first sanitation network, built at the beginning of the following century by a London company. Despite the long concession contract, over the years the French company demonstrated poor management of the system and poor quality in the city's water distribution service. For this reason, the decision was made to rescue the concession with the creation of SMAS on 1 April 1927, the Municipal Water and Sanitation Services of Porto, which have been responsible for water and sanitation services to this day.
The 20th century saw the expansion of the network, particularly between the 1920s and the 1940s. The main project was the construction of reservoirs and the Nova Sintra Power Station between 1928 and 1929, to increase the water supply that the concessionaire was unable to provide. The elevated water from Gondomar began to reach Nova Sintra, which still has the largest reservoirs in the city, with a capacity of 45,000 m³. These reservoirs provided more water to the people of Porto and guaranteed reserves for critical times. The water from the Sousa River was joined by water from the Douro River with the construction of collection wells in Zebreiros. The catchments were deactivated after almost 100 years with the construction of the Crestuma-Lever Dam in the 1980s. Between the 1940s and 1970s, several reservoirs were built, namely those of Bonfim, Carvalhido, Congregados, Amial and Fonte da Moura. Throughout the 20th century, numerous cast iron fountains and drinking fountains were installed in the city, ensuring access to drinking water for the entire community, as part of an initiative to democratise water, in view of the gradual disuse of the old public fountains due to the unsanitary nature of the spring water. This initiative has been revitalised in recent years by Águas e Energia do Porto.
Since the 21st century, services have focused on environmental sustainability and in 2006 the water supply system was redesigned as part of the ‘Porto Gravítico’ project, in order to take advantage of the morphological conditions of the city of Porto, where its high elevations allow water to be pressurised by gravity. This project focused on water efficiency and reducing energy consumption, resulting in a 97.3% decrease in energy costs associated with pumping stations. The Freixo and Sobreiras wastewater treatment plants are also being built. Currently, the municipal company manages Porto's entire urban water cycle.
It was only in the Modern Age that responsibilities extended to other concerns arising from the growth of the city, which brought with it the need for more water, such as the construction of underground cisterns for water storage, large water distribution networks throughout the city, and the regulation of the cleaning of public fountains. In 1613, the ruling of August 31 was created, a summary code of sanitary regulations that protected streams. In 1640, anyone caught committing such acts was fined by the “health officers.” Later, in 1732, the “city fountain and tank cleanliness inspectors” were appointed, a municipal position that would oversee the cleanliness of fountains and tanks. On February 12, 1787, the City Council compiled a series of rulings, which remained in use until the last decades of the 19th century, presented as a code entitled “On the debris and cleaning of the city,” controlled in public spaces by the almotacés. This new focus on the quality of the city's water materialized in the construction of the city's first water distribution network, with the project to build what would be Porto's largest water source, the Manancial de Paranhos. Thanks to the community, which offered to help cover the costs of such construction, Porto was equipped with a network of underground galleries and aqueducts that supplied public and private fountains with abundant, good-quality water.
In the 19th century, driven by advances in industry and science, concerns about health worsened due to population growth, and the decision was made to equip the city of Porto with the first industrial water supply system, powered by steam and built and operated by a Parisian company. Hygiene and health were also ensured by the first sanitation network, built at the beginning of the following century by a London company. Despite the long concession contract, over the years the French company demonstrated poor management of the system and poor quality in the city's water distribution service. For this reason, the decision was made to rescue the concession with the creation of SMAS on 1 April 1927, the Municipal Water and Sanitation Services of Porto, which have been responsible for water and sanitation services to this day.
The 20th century saw the expansion of the network, particularly between the 1920s and the 1940s. The main project was the construction of reservoirs and the Nova Sintra Power Station between 1928 and 1929, to increase the water supply that the concessionaire was unable to provide. The elevated water from Gondomar began to reach Nova Sintra, which still has the largest reservoirs in the city, with a capacity of 45,000 m³. These reservoirs provided more water to the people of Porto and guaranteed reserves for critical times. The water from the Sousa River was joined by water from the Douro River with the construction of collection wells in Zebreiros. The catchments were deactivated after almost 100 years with the construction of the Crestuma-Lever Dam in the 1980s. Between the 1940s and 1970s, several reservoirs were built, namely those of Bonfim, Carvalhido, Congregados, Amial and Fonte da Moura. Throughout the 20th century, numerous cast iron fountains and drinking fountains were installed in the city, ensuring access to drinking water for the entire community, as part of an initiative to democratise water, in view of the gradual disuse of the old public fountains due to the unsanitary nature of the spring water. This initiative has been revitalised in recent years by Águas e Energia do Porto.
Since the 21st century, services have focused on environmental sustainability and in 2006 the water supply system was redesigned as part of the ‘Porto Gravítico’ project, in order to take advantage of the morphological conditions of the city of Porto, where its high elevations allow water to be pressurised by gravity. This project focused on water efficiency and reducing energy consumption, resulting in a 97.3% decrease in energy costs associated with pumping stations. The Freixo and Sobreiras wastewater treatment plants are also being built. Currently, the municipal company manages Porto's entire urban water cycle.
