Old Water Channels

Santa Cruz de Tenerife · Category: Memory · Subcategory: Sites of memory · Year: 1708

Until the early 18th century, the population of Santa Cruz only had for their use and subsistence the water that flowed through the ravines, that which was extracted by means of water wheels and wells, or the rainwater collected in the cisterns of orchards and private house patios. A small amount for a growing population. 

Therefore, in 1706 the general commander Agustín de Robles ordered the conduction of water from the springs of Monte Aguirre, in Anaga, to the city. This was carried out through the construction of a complicated system of wooden channels, called arcaduces , installed elevated above the ground by means of pivots to overcome the orographic inequalities and also to prevent livestock from drinking from them. The works were completed in January 1708. 

These “high channels”, on a rugged route, already reached ground level at the first distribution point of the city, which was called Canales Bajas, today Doctor Guigou street. From here, the water was distributed for the irrigation of orchards and farms of El Toscal and through atarjeas it ran along the route of the current Pilar street to the orchard of the Franciscan convent, to then take the current Suárez Guerra street, then take Barranquillo street (Imeldo Serís), until reaching the Casa del Agua, near where the Santo Domingo convent was located (today Guimerá Theatre). There was a reservoir there that supplied the friars' orchard. From this point, the channel followed the course of the Aceite ravine, continuing to the main square, where the La Pila fountain was located. Then the conduction continued downhill to the San Cristóbal castle. In total, this rudimentary distribution network had an approximate length of 12 kilometres from the heights of Monte Aguirre to the city centre.

The water was free for all the inhabitants of the place, but not for the ships that supplied themselves in the port, whose levy was destined for the maintenance and occasional repairs of the channels, a task entrusted to a "water mayor", appointed by the military authority.

In 1776 a reform of the canalisation was carried out. The old wooden conduits were replaced, from the entrance to the urban area to the public fountains, by fired clay pipes buried in the ground or protected by masonry atarjeas. The works of this reform were completed in January 1783.

This distribution system, with improvements, operated throughout the 19th century, until in 1916 the first pressurised water supply distribution network was inaugurated from the regulating reservoir located in the heights of the Salamanca neighbourhood and from where water would gradually be supplied under pressure through metal pipes.

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