Title: Water reservoirs complex of 19th century in Patras, Greece

Authors: Georgios P. Antoniou

Addresses: 44 Ioannou Soutsou Str., Athens, GR11474, Greece

Abstract: During the second half of the 19th century the emerging city of Patras was also characterised by a relevant increase of its population. The demands for drinking water supply could not be anymore served by the pre-existing repaired aqueduct formations of the Ottoman era, since the emerging city incorporated not only hundreds of newly constructed neoclassical buildings but also numerous factories, both requiring increased quantities of water. The first large vaulted water reservoir, that was built at the foothills of the medieval castle, was the first serious project for a new proper water supply system, according to the technologies of that time. That water tank - built in 1872 - was supplied by the historic source of water for Patras, the springs of Romanos and had a capacity of 2,030 m³. An additional water supply became necessary just after 30 years. The construction of the water network from the springs of Velouchi was integrated with the construction of the second and larger reservoir, adjoined to the first, capacitating 2,690 m³. The well constructed complex of the two water reservoirs kept supplying the city of Patras since then, being somehow still in use at the beginning of the 21st century.

Keywords: water tanks; cisterns; aqueducts; water supply; neoclassical buildings; factories; Greece; water reservoirs; 19th century; Patras; drinking water.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGENVI.2016.074364

International Journal of Global Environmental Issues, 2016 Vol.15 No.1/2, pp.34 - 48

Received: 15 Sep 2014
Accepted: 20 Oct 2014
Published online: 25 Jan 2016 *

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