Podolská waterworks will be open more often, every Thursday

Prague - Podolská Waterworks, a significant monument of modern architecture, where the history of Prague's water supply was written, will be open every Thursday starting April 22. Until now, people have been able to visit the dominant feature of Prague's Podolí waterfront only a few times a year. Interested visitors will be able to see the technological background or visit the fifty-meter water tower.
    The Podolská Waterworks was established in the 1920s according to the design of Antonín Engel. The spacious interior of the waterworks is divided by elegant arches, transforming a purely utilitarian building into a beautiful object. The decoration was created by painter Josef Lada in 1937 at the request of the municipal waterworks.
    At the time, the waterworks was a large-scale construction. It initially coarsely filtered the Vltava River water, then disinfected it with chlorination. Drinking water was channeled through pipes to Vinohrady, where large new water reservoirs were built on Flora. From there, it was further distributed to other parts of the city. As the city grew, water consumption increased, and the capacity of the waterworks was enhanced by the installation of new technologies.
    In the early 1930s, a chemical water treatment plant was added. It operated on the principle of coagulation, which is a technological process that separates impurities from the water. Between 1956 and 1965, another part of the waterworks was completed according to the original design by Antonín Engel and Maxmilián Koschin.
    Water consumption in Prague has decreased in recent years, and the Podolská Waterworks serves as a backup water source and an auxiliary water treatment facility. Since 1997, it has housed the Museum of Prague Water Supply; this has existed since 1953 but was located elsewhere.
    The public can not only look at historical exhibits during the museum tour but can also peek into the pumping station and view the tower's balcony, from which there is a unique view of Prague Castle, Vyšehrad, Smíchov, and Petřín. The operators note that the two-hour tour is not barrier-free and requires a certain level of physical fitness, especially when ascending to the tower's balcony.
    Interested individuals can reserve tickets on the website www.prahatechnicka.cz or purchase them at the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce of the City of Prague in Franz Kafka Square. Admission for individuals is 150 crowns.