Le Château d’eau

For centuries, the people of Rieum took their water from fountains, but the cholera epidemics of the 19th century and above all the typhoid fever of around 1880 called things into question. The water from the first spring was poisoned, so something else had to be found. Private individuals had deep wells dug to tap new water tables. The next step was to supply the drinking fountains for the town’s livestock and horses.

To this end, in 1884, the Rieumes town council decided to build two water towers. A wind turbine and a road locomotive were installed at the abattoirs near l’Ormette. The water was pumped from the Bure and sent back up the hill to the water towers. The water towers were finally completed in 1896, as evidenced by the beautiful stone carved with the Rieumes coat of arms that can be seen on the preserved monument. The compass, chosen by Charles René d’Hozier for his armorial (1696) replaces the old coat of arms. It seems to symbolise the community of journeymen carpenters, an important one in the town.