Water well Eglize Saint-Nizier - Troyes

Man's need for water has driven him to search for it and to dig wells since ancient civilizations.

Digging a well is an expensive affair and in the first place only wealthy residents can afford a well in their property, in the courtyard or in the house itself.

The mayors of Troyes therefore dug many public wells , but they were also dug for construction, which required much water, especially for the large-scale construction of churches , which consumed large quantities of water, and above all for the essential purpose of extinguishing the fires that were always feared in Troyes, a city built and even covered with wood.

In the 10th century, drinking the dubious water from our wells caused stone disease in children , while adults complained of écrouelles and goitres, the deformities so common in this city.

Between 1419 and 1466, the city had a number of wells dug, including the beautiful Marché-aux-Oignons, which was only closed in 1853.

From 1473 onwards, the wells were regularly cleaned by order of the police using trumpets sounded at the crossroads of the city. Neglect was punished with heavy fines and even imprisonment.

In 1524, after the great fire that destroyed almost 3,000 houses , the city council decided that the wells should be repaired and provided with chains or good ropes. In 1530 it was decided to fill the wells of houses that had burned down but not been rebuilt.

By 1550, as many as 80 public wells were registered.

Most public wells are constructed in particularly unfavorable conditions. The water comes from permeable soil that has been saturated for centuries with all the remains of life, near cesspools and leaking sewers, cesspools and streams. It is not necessary to dwell on the suspicious qualities of this water, but anyway, " the population laughs at warnings that it does not understand , because this water is often clear, colorless, without unpleasant odor or taste, and in summer it is very cool, and that is enough. "

From 1856 , when public fountains came into use, the city council voted to abolish almost all wells.

In 1862 there were still about 74 public wells, but we do not know exactly how many wells were in houses. There must have been 2,200, or one well for every two houses.

The wells in the Quartier-Haut were between 13 and 40 metres deep, while those in the Quartier-Bas were only 6 to 7 metres deep.

In 1929, the mayor drew up the "Municipal Regulation for Public Health"... No well may be used for public or private supply unless special permission has been granted upon request and the water has been analysed by the authorities. Wells must be kept away from installations that could pollute them, such as toilets and cesspools, manure or waste dumps, etc. The walls of authorised wells must be watertight. They must be closed at the mouth and protected from surface water infiltration by the construction of a concrete masonry zone... Wells considered dangerous will be closed and wells whose use is permanently prohibited will be filled to ground level".

willem vandenameele