3/5 Ryobee M. 6 years ago on Google
(Translated
by
Google)
The
water
tower
that
was
used
from
1952
to
2000.
Speaking
of
Mito's
water
supply,
the
Kasahara
Suido
built
by
Tokugawa
Mitsukuni
in
the
Edo
period
is
famous,
but
it
seems
that
Kasahara
Suido
has
finally
finished
its
role
due
to
the
construction
of
this
low
ward
water
tower.
Does
"low
ward"
water
tower
also
have
"high
ward"
water
tower?
I
wonder,
but
it
seems
that
there
was.
This
retro
"Low-ku
water
tower"
is
for
supplying
water
to
the
low-lying
Shimoichi
district,
while
the
water
for
the
upper
city
district
is
collected
in
the
"Taka-ku
water
tower"
in
Watari
Town.
I
heard
that.
By
storing
water
from
the
water
purification
plant
in
these
two
water
towers,
it
seems
that
tap
water
could
be
stably
supplied
to
each
area
at
a
constant
water
pressure.
By
the
way,
all
the
current
tap
water
in
Mito
City
is
taken
from
the
Naka
River
(Educhi
Intake
Tower),
and
is
supplied
to
each
house
through
the
Nuigawa
Dam
&
water
purification
plant
and
the
water
distribution
tank
in
the
city.
The
Kasahara
Channel
has
been
used
for
269
years
while
repeating
repairs
from
1663,
but
this
low
ward
water
tower
was
also
used
for
68
years
until
March
2000.
With
the
population
of
Mito,
the
amount
of
water
supply
increased,
and
it
seems
that
the
water
supply
capacity
of
this
area
alone
could
no
longer
be
enough.
At
present,
it
stands
quietly
as
a
registered
tangible
cultural
property
of
the
country.
It
is
not
crowded
because
it
can
not
be
put
inside,
but
it
is
lit
up
during
the
cherry
blossom
season
and
the
Mito
festival.
It
has
been
selected
as
one
of
the
100
most
modern
waterworks,
and
is
said
to
be
a
famous
building
for
water
tower
enthusiasts.
By
the
way,
the
designer
and
director
was
Mr.
Tsurumatsu
Goto...
There
is
an
anecdote
that
the
daughter
born
on
the
groundbreaking
ceremony
of
this
water
tower
was
named
Tomiko.
There
is
also
a
Western-style
flow
meter
room
and
a
teahouse-style
smithy
(shed?)
on
the
site
that
is
a
park.
The
iron-rusty
dragon-headed
plug
near
the
tower
is
the
same
as
the
Kasahara
spring
in
the
Sakaegawa
Ryokuchi
and
the
water
taps
in
Shimoichi
(Humming
Road),
but
no
water
came
out
because
of
a
breakdown.
(Original)
昭和7年から平成12年まで使われていた配水塔。水戸の水道といえば江戸時代に徳川光圀が造った笠原水道が有名ですが、この低区配水塔が建てられたことで笠原水道はようやくその役割を終えたのだそうです。「低区」配水塔ということは「高区」配水塔もあるのか?と疑問に思いますが、やはりあったそうです。このレトロな『低区配水塔』は、低地である下市地区に水を供給するためのものであり、一方の上市地区への水は渡里町にあった『高区配水塔』に集められたとのこと。これら2つの配水塔に浄水場からの水をいったん貯めることにより、一定の水圧で安定的にそれぞれの地区に水道水を供給できたそうです。因みに現在の水戸市の水道水はすべて那珂川(枝内取水塔)から取水し、楮川ダム&浄水場や市内の配水タンクを経て各戸へ給水されているとのことです。
笠原水道は1663年から修繕を繰り返しながら269年間に渡り使用されましたが、この低区配水塔も2000年3月までの68年間使われていたそうです。水戸の人口と共に水道使用量も増え、こちらの給水能力だけでは賄いきれなくなったのでしょう。現在は国の登録有形文化財としてひっそりと佇むのみ…内部にも入れないので普段は全く賑わっていませんが、桜の時期や水戸祭りの期間はライトアップされます。近代水道百景にも選ばれており、給水塔マニアには有名な建造物なのだそうです。因みに設計・監督は後藤鶴松氏…この配水塔の起工式の日に生まれた娘さんに塔美子(とみこ)と名付けたという逸話が残っています。
公園となっている敷地内には、同じく洋風の流量計室と、茶室風の鍛冶舎(物置?)があります。尚、塔のそばにある鉄さびた龍頭栓は、逆川緑地の笠原湧水地や下市(ハミングロード)にある水栓と同じものですが、故障中なのか水は出ませんでした。
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