The water wheel

This paddle wheel reminds us, in a stylised way, of the many mills that used to be found in the town and which have now disappeared. It was designed by two members of the Verviers municipal administration, the chief engineer Michel Derchain and the urban architect Jean-Pierre Dewaide.The principle is simple: a pump feeds a pipe that lets the water flow over the buckets of the paddle wheel. The wheel then starts to turn, like a mill wheel.In the past, waterwheels were used to power textile machines.