Science and politics in the question of water for Lisbon’s new slaughterhouse (mid-19th century)

Abstract

This article highlights, particularly, the crucial issue of water availability at the sites selected by the Lisbon City Council, in 1854, for the construction of a slaughterhouse. Among the technical and scientific consultations requested by the civil authorities, pillars of this study, we emphasize that of engineer Carlos Ribeiro, who brought the information gathered in his pioneering hydrogeological work into the political decision-making, in an unprecedented way. The consistency of his observations allowed him to recommend the use of the water from the farms on the eastern outskirts of the city, which was abundant and of good quality, and to advise against the opening of absorption wells on the alternative site inside the town, due to the risk of contamination of the underground aquifers. Finally, between scientific and practical reasons, the choice was made for the most central location, supplied by the Águas Livres Aqueduct, in the controversial belief that this would guarantee a more regular supply to the future slaughterhouse.