Crédit photo : Ce fichierest l’œuvre deXavier Caré. Merci de cré - Sous licence Creative Commons
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Timeline
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1900
2000
1854
Factory construction
Factory construction 1854 (≈ 1854)
Aristide Dumont erected the factory for the Compagnie générale des eaux.
1856
Commissioning
Commissioning 1856 (≈ 1856)
Three steam pumps from Cornwall become operational.
1910
Electricity
Electricity 1910 (≈ 1910)
Replacement of steam pumps with electric pumps.
1934
Machinery removal
Machinery removal 1934 (≈ 1934)
Removal of pumps and boilers, except a preserved pump.
3 novembre 1988
Registration MH
Registration MH 3 novembre 1988 (≈ 1988)
Building and ponds listed as historical monuments.
22 mars 1991
MH classification
MH classification 22 mars 1991 (≈ 1991)
The Cornwall pump is listed as a historic monument.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Building housing the water pump, low-service basin and filter basins (Box AV 31, 45): inscription by order of 3 November 1988 - Steam machine, known as Cornouailles (Case AV 31): classification by decree of 22 March 1991
Key figures
Aristide Dumont - Manufacturer
Designed the factory in 1854 for the Compagnie générale des eaux.
Schneider (Le Creusot) - Industrial constructor
Manufactures the Cornwall pump still visible today.
Origin and history
The Saint-Clair water factory, located in Cauire-et-Cuire on the banks of the Rhône, was built in 1854 by engineer Aristide Dumont for the Compagnie générale des eaux. Designed to supply drinking water to several Lyon neighbourhoods (Croix-Rousse, Presquíle, Vaise, Brotteaux, Guillotière), it initially used three Cornwall steam pumps, capable of producing 20,000 m3 of water per day. These monumental machines (20 m high, 13 m wide, 200 tonnes) operated thanks to a 35 ton balance, pushing 2,000 m3/hour through 6 to 10 strokes per minute. The water, taken from the Rhône, was filtered in two vaulted underground basins and a gallery of 3,500 m2.
Over the 19th century, the site expanded to include 9 steam pumps powered by 30 boilers. In 1910, the steam pumps were replaced by electric pumps, marking a modernization of the system. The old machines, including the boilers, were dismantled in 1934, leaving only one Cornwall pump still visible today. This vestige, classified as a historical monument in 1991, is the only example preserved in France of this technology. The filter basins and the neoclassical pump building have been registered since 1988.
The site, managed by the urban community of Lyon, is now open to the public during guided tours and European Heritage Days, thanks to the L'eau association in Lyon & the Cornouailles pump. The machine, manufactured at the Creusot by Schneider, impresses with its dimensions: a balance of 7 meters (35 tons), a piston of 1 meter in diameter, and a power of 175 horsepower. Its steel and bronze mechanism, with 6 to 10 strokes per minute, illustrates 19th century industrial engineering.
The Saint-Clair factory originally formed a complete industrial complex, including filtration basins (pillar vaulted cellars, unused since 1976) and a neoclassical main building, composed of a two-level central body flanked by symmetrical wings. This technical and architectural heritage bears witness to the historic importance of water supply for Lyon's urban development.
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