Water tower

The water level in the tower typically falls during the peak usage hours of the day, and then a pump fills it back up during the night.

By the late 19th century, standpipes grew to include storage tanks to meet the ever-increasing demands of growing cities.

[2] Many early water towers are now considered historically significant and have been included in various heritage listings around the world.

[1] In certain areas, such as New York City in the United States, smaller water towers are constructed for individual buildings.

During periods of low demand, jockey pumps are used to meet these lower water flow requirements.

The adjacent image shows three architectural approaches to incorporating these tanks in the design of a building, one on East 57th Street in New York City.

The technology dates to at least the 19th century, and for a long time New York City required that all buildings higher than six stories be equipped with a rooftop water tower.

[6] The original water tower builders were barrel makers who expanded their craft to meet a modern need as buildings in the city grew taller in height.

Many buildings, however, leave their water towers in plain view atop utilitarian framework structures.

[citation needed] Water towers are common in India, where the electricity supply is erratic in most places.

[citation needed] If the pumps fail (such as during a power outage), then water pressure will be lost, causing potential public health concerns.

Many U.S. states require a "boil-water advisory" to be issued if water pressure drops below 20 pounds per square inch (140 kPa).

These tanks are often nothing more than concrete cisterns terraced into the sides of local hills or mountains, but function identically to the traditional water tower.

[citation needed] The Chicago Bridge and Iron Company has built many of the water spheres and spheroids found in the United States.

[14] The water tower in Braman, Oklahoma, built by the Kaw Nation and completed in 2010, is 220.6 ft (67.2 m) tall and can hold 350,000 US gallons (1,300 m3).

[17][18] The Earthoid, a perfectly spherical tank located in Germantown, Maryland is 100 ft (30 m) tall and holds 2,000,000 US gallons (7,600 m3) of water.

[19][20][21][22] The golf ball-shaped tank of the water tower at Gonzales, California is supported by three tubular legs and reaches about 125 ft (38 m) high.

[26][27] Water towers can be surrounded by ornate coverings including fancy brickwork, a large ivy-covered trellis or they can be simply painted.