A scratch in the landscape: the aqueduct to Verviers

When you hear the word aqueduct, you immediately think of the impressive Roman structures that brought water from the mountains to the cities. We imagine a high bridge spanning a valley, with water flowing on top of it. You can find such an aqueduct in a modest form near Hèvremont. But a significant part of the water is transported via an underground aqueduct. We are standing above it here and will follow its course for the rest of the walk. In the past, water from the Venen, which was captured by the dam of the Gileppe, was transported via the 11-kilometer-long aqueduct to Verviers to supply the wool industry. The aqueduct is still in use for the supply of drinking water. For years, the soft, acidic water flowed through the lead pipes of the city of Verviers, resulting in a significantly higher number of residents with lead poisoning than elsewhere in our country. After ignoring the problem for years, a 'purification station' was built in Stembert, just before the water supplies Verviers.

The aqueduct is easily recognizable in the landscape as an elevated straight dike that occasionally makes a turn. The installations must be accessible, and the underground pipes should be regularly maintained.

Jan Rymenams