Kite wagon

In 1711, the village of São Paulo was promoted to the city, which meant, then, the autonomy offered to the municipalities. It is in this context that concerns about public health and water supply for residents of the city of São Paulo begin.

In this first period, the water supply was almost nonexistent and the population was forced to resort to rivers to obtain supplies. In 1744 the city's first fountain was built, but it was private and belonged to the Franciscans, it was installed inside the cloister, with waters from Anhangabaú. The first public fountain came in 1746, the Municipal Tank, soon followed by the Santa Teresa Tank, 240m below the first, both of which were also supplied with water from Anhangabaú.

With the abundance of water sprouting in springs, the conduction of water in open ditches was then carried out through the streets and construction of reservoirs, fountains and fountains destined to supply the population, a process that was the first public supply system in the city of São Paulo. And so a new class of traders emerges, the waterers, who with water trucks, pulled by animal traction, collected water from fountains, fountains, spouts or even rivers and delivered it directly to homes.

Reference Center of the Catavento Museum