Brutau’s canal, the old textile factory

The first textile industries made use of the force of the river: a lock and a canal lead the water to the central, where the kinetic energy was turned into hydraulic energy by a turbine. This canal was the first power source of the factory, until during the first decade of the 20th century neither the waterfall nor the steam engine produced enough energy for the industrial machinery. This is why a waterfall in Vilallonga de Ter was built, so that it could send some electric energy to Sant Jaume de Llierca. This spinning mill, created in 1880, promoted the establishment of public electric lighting, the arrival of the telephone and the construction of a school.