Podolí Water Treatment Plant

Join for a guided visit to one of Prague’s most remarkable technical landmarks—the Podolí Water Treatment Plant. The excursion will introduce us to the journey of water from the Vltava River through a sophisticated sequence of treatment stages until it becomes safe drinking water.
The visit will also highlight the remarkable architecture of the complex, designed in a monumental functionalist style and considered one of Prague’s most interesting industrial buildings.
We will learn how raw river water is first pumped into the plant and passed through coarse and fine screens that remove larger debris. Its flow is then stabilised before entering large clarification tanks. Here, a coagulant is added, causing fine suspended impurities to bind together into larger flakes that can be separated from the water.
The clarified water subsequently passes through rapid sand filters, which capture the remaining particles. Its pH is carefully adjusted, and a further treatment stage uses granular activated carbon. Thanks to its highly porous structure, activated carbon can adsorb pesticides, their metabolites, organic compounds and substances responsible for undesirable tastes or odours.
Finally, the treated water is disinfected using ultraviolet light and a carefully controlled dose of chlorine. The UV radiation inactivates microorganisms, while the small residual amount of chlorine protects the water during its journey through Prague’s distribution network.