Giants In The Heart Of Saigon: When, Why And How They Exist

Standing in the middle of Ho Chi Minh City for decades, these towers have become an integral part of local life and a unique feature for visitors. However, the origin of these “giants” and their significant influence on the lives of Saigonese people remain unpopular to many people.

Mushroom Water Towers

The image of mushroom-shaped water towers is probably familiar to many locals and tourists, but not everyone knows their water regulation function. Originally, eight towers were built before 1975 by American engineers, but most of them had been demolished by 2017.

Designed by Americans between 1965 and 1969, eight water towers of Saigon Water Corporation Limited (Sawaco) were built to regulate water pressure from the water plant. Before their establishment, streetside water pumps were the main water source among locals.

The water towers are about 30m high, have a reinforced concrete structure with a capacity of 1,200 m3 to 8,500 m3. Below these water towers are closed walls or reinforced concrete columns supporting circular water tanks above. The location of the water towers shows that the population density there is quite concentrated, so the demand for clean water is high.

However, despite their long-standing presence in the city, these water towers were never actually used, as their functions were considered ineffective and abandoned for a long time.

Saigon's "Apollo Spaceship"

This is the name that locals have given to the 50-meter-high concrete tower located on Dien Bien Phu Street, due to its rocket-like appearance. If you go from Hang Xanh intersection to Nguyen Binh Khiem roundabout (District 1), you can easily spot this unique, Apollo spaceship-shaped structure on the right, near the foot of the Dien Bien Phu Bridge.

In addition, there is also a tower with a similar design at the Thu Duc Water Plant in Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc City. The tower on Dien Bien Phu Street is 46 meters high (according to documents), 2 meters in diameter, and has a capacity of 1,500 horsepower, which is lower than the 2,000 horsepower capacity of the tower located at the water plant.

“Before 1975, we saw on TV that the US had successfully launched the Apollo spacecraft. Then Saigon built a tower identical to it, so we thought it was for commemoration or advertising. No one knew it was part of a water plant,” shared Mrs. Phuong, a 73-year-old resident of Dien Bien Phu Street, Binh Thanh District.

They are water pressure towers (tháp cắt áp), built by the US as part of the Metropolitan Water project in 1963 to help reduce pressure in water pipes. Specifically, they can regulate when water pressure suddenly increases, protecting the pipeline and preventing incidents that cause pipe breakage.

The towers began operating in 1966 when the Dong Nai River Water Production Department (now Thu Duc Water Plant) was inaugurated. At that time, it was the largest water plant in Southeast Asia, operating with a capacity of 450,000 m³ per day and providing 90% of Saigon’s clean water.

Mr. Vu Trung, a technical staff member at Sawaco, explained the operation of the two towers: “When water is pumped from the factory at a pressure exceeding the pipeline’s design capacity, it rises to the water pressure tower and flows out, reducing the water pressure. Otherwise, the water would flow directly into smaller pipes, leading to leaks or pipe breakage.”

Historic Imprints In The Modern Time

Despite the simple design, the two nearly 60-year-old water pressure towers have brought great benefits to Saigonese, helping to ensure water flow to most of the city's population. Both towers witnessed pivotal shifts, from Saigon’s period as a French colonial capital to a dynamic, post-war metropolis.

Today, these buildings not only contribute architectural diversity to the skyline but also serve as sentimental symbols of Saigon’s journey through decades of cultural transformation.

Sawaco's technical staff cited that in May 2013, a crane truck carrying trees touched a 500 kV power line, causing a power outage in all provinces and cities in southern Vietnam. Consequently, the power supply to the pump at Thu Duc Water Plant was suddenly cut off, causing a water hammer phenomenon.

At that time, the water pressure in the pipeline from the plant leading to the two towers reached 6 bar. Without the two towers regulating the water, the water flow with such a high pressure would have caused the water pipes leading to households to burst en masse, according to VnExpress.