Imagine Prague without readily available water. That was a concern addressed by the Vodárenská věž Děvín. This water tower stands tall on Děvín Hill. It is 310 meters above sea level.
The Vodárenská věž Děvín isn’t just a tower. It’s part of Prague’s water management system. Its primary job is to dampen pressure surges. These surges come from the Želivka water supply line. Water flows from the reservoir in Jesenice near Prague.
Let’s dive into the tower’s history. The project began in the early 1970s. It was commissioned to Stavoprojekt in Liberec. Architect Karel Hubáček and engineer Zdeněk Patermann designed the Vodárenská věž Děvín in 1976. Construction finished in 1977.
The construction faced a challenge. Vítkovické železárny Klementa Gottwalda delayed material delivery. They claimed to prioritize Soviet Union orders. Government intervention ensured the steel arrived. This averted a water crisis for new housing. Hutní montáže Ostrava and Vodní stavby Praha also contributed.
The Vodárenská věž Děvín has a unique design. Three 50-meter-high steel cylinders form a triangle. Each cylinder has a diameter of 1.8 meters. Blue and yellow metal sheets clad the steel tubes. Curved walls of profiled glass protect the inner staircase. The top connections are white. This creates a letter “H” silhouette for architect Hubáček.
The tower’s concept connects to the Želivka water source. The height of the Jesenice reservoirs enables gravity-fed water flow. It goes under the Vltava to Prague’s left bank. The Vodárenská věž Děvín helps supply Prague’s large housing estates. It acts as a surge tank.
The Prague Water Supply and Sewerage planned extensive renovations. They modernized the pumping station and the Vodárenská věž Děvín between 2019 and 2020. The city-owned Prague Water Management Company invested over 100 million crowns.
The Vodárenská věž Děvín underwent complete renovation. New anti-corrosion coatings were applied. Damaged cladding and glass fillings were replaced. The pumping station also saw upgrades. New sandwich panels insulated the machine room. Three new pumps improved efficiency. They each had a capacity of 600 liters per second. The electrical equipment was modernized.
The pumping station is now fully automatic. It transmits data to Prague’s central dispatch center. Remote operation is possible. Unique elements of the original equipment were preserved. They are now in the National Technical Museum’s collection.
Today the Vodárenská věž Děvín mainly serves as a backup. The Strážovská pumping station handles primary distribution. The Děvín pumping station operates only two days a week. It pumps for four hours each time. Besides water management, the tower serves radiocommunication purposes. Various operators use it. Antennas are at the tower’s highest point. The Vodárenská věž Děvín stands as a testament to engineering. It also shows architectural ingenuity. It secures Prague’s water supply and communication networks.