A water tower is an elevated structure supporting a

water tank A water tank is a container for Water storage, storing water, for many applications, drinking water, irrigation, fire suppression, farming, both for plants and livestock, chemical manufacturing, food preparation as well as many other uses. Water ...

constructed at a height sufficient to pressurize a distribution system for

potable water Drinking water or potable water is water that is safe for ingestion, either when drunk directly in liquid form or consumed indirectly through food preparation. It is often (but not always) supplied through taps, in which case it is also calle ...

, and to provide emergency storage for fire protection. Water towers often operate in conjunction with underground or surface service reservoirs, which store treated water close to where it will be used. Other types of water towers may only store raw (non-potable) water for fire protection or industrial purposes, and may not necessarily be connected to a public water supply. Water towers are able to supply water even during

power outages A power outage, also called a blackout, a power failure, a power blackout, a power loss, a power cut, or a power out is the complete loss of the electrical power network supply to an end user. There are many causes of power failures in an el ...

, because they rely on

hydrostatic pressure Hydrostatics is the branch of fluid mechanics that studies fluids at hydrostatic equilibrium and "the pressure in a fluid or exerted by a fluid on an immersed body". The word "hydrostatics" is sometimes used to refer specifically to water and o ...

produced by elevation of water (due to

gravity In physics, gravity (), also known as gravitation or a gravitational interaction, is a fundamental interaction, a mutual attraction between all massive particles. On Earth, gravity takes a slightly different meaning: the observed force b ...

) to push the water into domestic and industrial water distribution systems; however, they cannot supply the water for a long time without power, because a pump is typically required to refill the tower. A water tower also serves as a reservoir to help with water needs during peak usage times. 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. This process also keeps the water from freezing in cold weather, since the tower is constantly being drained and refilled.

History

Although the use of elevated water storage tanks has existed since ancient times in various forms, the modern use of water towers for pressurized public water systems developed during the mid-19th century, as steam-pumping became more common, and better

pipes Pipe(s), PIPE(S) or piping may refer to: Objects * Pipe (fluid conveyance), a hollow cylinder following certain dimension rules ** Piping, the use of pipes in industry * Smoking pipe ** Tobacco pipe * Half-pipe and quarter pipe, semi-circu ...

that could handle higher pressures were developed. In the United Kingdom, standpipes consisted of tall, exposed, N-shaped pipes, used for pressure relief and to provide a fixed elevation for steam-driven pumping engines which tended to produce a pulsing flow, while the pressurized water distribution system required constant pressure. Standpipes also provided a convenient fixed location to measure flow rates. Designers typically enclosed the riser pipes in decorative masonry or wooden structures. By the late 19th century, standpipes grew to include storage tanks to meet the ever-increasing demands of growing cities. Many early water towers are now considered historically significant and have been included in various heritage listings around the world. Some are converted to apartments or exclusive penthouses. In certain areas, such as

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

in the United States, smaller water towers are constructed for individual buildings. In

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

and some other states, domestic water towers enclosed by siding (

tankhouse A tankhouse (also spelled tank house or tank-house) is a water tower enclosed by siding (construction), siding. Tankhouses were part of a self-contained domestic water system supplying the house and garden, developed before the advent of electric ...

s) were once built (1850s–1930s) to supply individual homes;

windmills A windmill is a machine operated by the force of wind acting on vanes or sails to mill grain (gristmills), pump water, generate electricity, or drive other machinery. Windmills were used throughout the high medieval and early modern periods; ...

pumped water from hand-dug wells up into the tank in New York. Water towers were used to supply

water stop A water stop or water station on a railroad is a place where steam trains stop to replenish water. The stopping of the train itself is also referred to as a "water stop". The term originates from the times of steam engines when large amounts ...

s for

steam locomotives A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...

on railroad lines. Early steam locomotives required water stops every .

Design and construction

A variety of materials can be used to construct a typical water tower; steel and reinforced or

prestressed concrete Prestressed concrete is a form of concrete used in construction. It is substantially prestressed (Compression (physics), compressed) during production, in a manner that strengthens it against tensile forces which will exist when in service. Post-t ...

are most often used (with wood,

fiberglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) is a common type of fibre-reinforced plastic, fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened i ...

, or brick also in use), incorporating an interior coating to protect the water from any effects from the lining material. The reservoir in the tower may be

spherical A sphere (from Ancient Greek, Greek , ) is a surface (mathematics), surface analogous to the circle, a curve. In solid geometry, a sphere is the Locus (mathematics), set of points that are all at the same distance from a given point in three ...

cylindrical A cylinder () has traditionally been a Solid geometry, three-dimensional solid, one of the most basic of curvilinear geometric shapes. In elementary geometry, it is considered a Prism (geometry), prism with a circle as its base. A cylinder may ...

, or an

ellipsoid An ellipsoid is a surface that can be obtained from a sphere by deforming it by means of directional Scaling (geometry), scalings, or more generally, of an affine transformation. An ellipsoid is a quadric surface; that is, a Surface (mathemat ...

, with a minimum height of approximately and a minimum of in diameter. A standard water tower typically has a height of approximately . Pressurization occurs through the

of the elevation of water; for every of elevation, it produces of pressure. of elevation produces roughly , which is enough pressure to operate and provide for most domestic water pressure and distribution system requirements. The height of the tower provides the pressure for the water supply system, and it may be supplemented with a

pump A pump is a device that moves fluids (liquids or gases), or sometimes Slurry, slurries, by mechanical action, typically converted from electrical energy into hydraulic or pneumatic energy. Mechanical pumps serve in a wide range of application ...

. The volume of the

reservoir A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation. Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...

and

diameter In geometry, a diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the centre of the circle and whose endpoints lie on the circle. It can also be defined as the longest Chord (geometry), chord of the circle. Both definitions a ...

of the piping provide and sustain flow rate. However, relying on a pump to provide pressure is expensive; to keep up with varying demand, the pump would have to be sized to meet peak demands. During periods of low demand,

jockey pump A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual w ...

s are used to meet these lower water flow requirements. The water tower reduces the need for electrical consumption of cycling pumps and thus the need for an expensive pump control system, as this system would have to be sized sufficiently to give the same pressure at high flow rates. Very high volumes and flow rates are needed when fighting fires. With a water tower present, pumps can be sized for average demand, not peak demand; the water tower can provide water pressure during the day and pumps will refill the water tower when demands are lower. Using

wireless sensor networks Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) refer to networks of spatially dispersed and dedicated sensors that monitor and record the physical conditions of the environment and forward the collected data to a central location. WSNs can measure environmental ...

to monitor water levels inside the tower allows municipalities to automatically monitor and control pumps without installing and maintaining expensive data cables.

Architecture

Rooftop water towers on New York apartment buildings

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. From left to right, a fully enclosed and ornately decorated brick structure, a simple unadorned roofless brick structure hiding most of the tank but revealing the top of the tank, and a simple utilitarian structure that makes no effort to hide the tanks or otherwise incorporate them into the design of the building. 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. Two companies in New York build water towers, both of which are

family business A family business is a commercial organization in which decision-making is influenced by multiple generations of a family, related by Consanguinity , blood, marriage or adoption, who has both the ability to influence the vision of the business a ...

es in operation since the 19th century. 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. Even today, no sealant is used to hold the water in. The wooden walls of the water tower are held together with steel cables or straps, but water leaks through the gaps when first filled. As the water saturates the wood, it swells, the gaps close and become impermeable. The rooftop water towers store of water until it is needed in the building below. The upper portion of water is skimmed off the top for everyday use while the water in the bottom of the tower is held in reserve to fight fire. When the water drops below a certain level, a pressure switch, level switch or float valve will activate a pump or open a public water line to refill the water tower. Roihuvuori water tower - Helsinki Finland

Roihuvuori water tower - Helsinki Finland

Architects and builders have taken varied approaches to incorporating water towers into the design of their buildings. On many large commercial buildings, water towers are completely hidden behind an extension of the facade of the building. For cosmetic reasons, apartment buildings often enclose their tanks in rooftop structures, either simple unadorned rooftop boxes, or ornately decorated structures intended to enhance the visual appeal of the building. Many buildings, however, leave their water towers in plain view atop utilitarian framework structures. Water towers are common in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, where the electricity supply is erratic in most places. 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 A boil-water advisory (BWA), boil-water notice, boil-water warning, boil-water order, or boil order is a Public health, public-health advisory or directive issued by governmental or other health authorities to consumers when a community's drinkin ...

" to be issued if water pressure drops below . This advisory presumes that the lower pressure might allow pathogens to enter the system. Some have been converted to serve modern purposes, as for example, the Wieża Ciśnień (

Wrocław water tower Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...

) in

Wrocław Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...

, Poland which is today a restaurant complex. Others have been converted to residential use. Historically, railroads that used

steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, Fuel oil, oil or, rarely, Wood fuel, wood) to heat ...

s required a means of replenishing the locomotive's tenders. Water towers were common along the railroad. The tenders were usually replenished by

water crane A water crane is a device used for delivering a large volume of water into the Tank locomotive, tank or Tender locomotive, tender of a steam locomotive. The device is also called a water column in the United States and Australia. As a steam loco ...

s, which were fed by a water tower. Some water towers are also used as observation towers, and some restaurants, such as the

Goldbergturm The Goldbergturm is a 51 metre high water tower on the Goldberg (''gold mountain'') at in Sindelfingen, Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the N ...

Sindelfingen Sindelfingen ( Swabian: ''Sendlfenga'') is a city in Baden-Württemberg in south Germany. It lies near Stuttgart at the headwaters of the Schwippe (a tributary of the river Würm), and is home to a Mercedes-Benz assembly plant. The current mayor ...

, Germany, or the second of the three

Kuwait Towers The Kuwait Towers are a group of three thin towers in Kuwait City, standing on a promontory into the Persian Gulf. They were the sixth, and last, group in the larger Kuwait Water Towers system of 34 towers (33 store water; one stores equipment), ...

, in the State of

Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...

. It is also common to use water towers as the location of

transmission Transmission or transmit may refer to: Science and technology * Power transmission ** Electric power transmission ** Transmission (mechanical device), technology that allows controlled application of power *** Automatic transmission *** Manual tra ...

mechanisms in the

UHF Ultra high frequency (UHF) is the ITU designation for radio frequencies in the range between 300 megahertz (MHz) and 3 gigahertz (GHz), also known as the decimetre band as the wavelengths range from one meter to one tenth of a meter ...

range with small power, for instance for closed rural broadcasting service,

amateur radio Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency radio spectrum, spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emer ...

, or

cellular telephone A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This radio ...

service. In hilly regions, local topography can be substituted for structures to elevate the tanks. These tanks are often nothing more than concrete

cistern A cistern (; , ; ) is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. To prevent leakage, the interior of the cistern is often lined with hydraulic plaster. Cisterns are disti ...

s terraced into the sides of local hills or mountains, but function identically to the traditional water tower. The tops of these tanks can be landscaped or used as park space, if desired.

Spheres and spheroids

The

Chicago Bridge and Iron Company Chicago is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 census, it is the third-most populous city in the United States after New York City and Los ...

has built many of the water spheres and spheroids found in the United States. The website ''World's Tallest Water Sphere'' describes the distinction between a water sphere and water

spheroid A spheroid, also known as an ellipsoid of revolution or rotational ellipsoid, is a quadric surface (mathematics), surface obtained by Surface of revolution, rotating an ellipse about one of its principal axes; in other words, an ellipsoid with t ...

thus: The Union Watersphere is a water tower topped with a sphere-shaped

in Union, New Jersey, and characterized as the ''World's Tallest Water Sphere''. A ''Star Ledger'' article suggested a water tower in

Erwin, North Carolina Erwin is a town that is located in the eastern part of Harnett County, North Carolina, United States, located approximately from Dunn and approximately from Fayetteville. The city is a part of the Dunn, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, whic ...

completed in early 2012, tall and holding , had become the World's Tallest Water Sphere. However, photographs of the Erwin water tower revealed the new tower to be a water spheroid. The water tower in

Braman, Oklahoma Braman is a town in Kay County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 217 at the 2010 census, a decline of 11.1 percent from the figure of 244 in 2000. History Braman was named for railroad developer Dwight Braman, when its post office was ...

, built by the

Kaw Nation The Kaw Nation (or Kanza or Kansa) is a federally recognized Native American tribe in Oklahoma and parts of Kansas. The Kaw people historically lived in the central Midwestern United States. They have also been called the "People of the Sou ...

and completed in 2010, is tall and can hold . Slightly taller than the Union Watersphere, it is also a spheroid. Another tower in Oklahoma, built in 1986 and billed as the "largest water tower in the country", is tall, can hold , and is located in Edmond. The ''Earthoid'', a perfectly spherical tank located in

Germantown, Maryland Germantown is an urbanized census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. With a population of 91,249 as of the 2020 census, it is the third-most populous community in Maryland, after Baltimore and Columbia, Maryland, Col ...

is tall and holds of water. The name is taken from it being painted to resemble a globe of the world. The golf ball-shaped tank of the water tower at

Gonzales, California Gonzales is a city in Monterey County, California, United States. Gonzales is located southeast of Salinas, at an elevation of . The population was 8,647 at the 2020 census, up from 8,187 at the 2010 census. Gonzales is a member of the Ass ...

is supported by three tubular legs and reaches about high. The Watertoren (or Water Towers) in

Eindhoven Eindhoven ( ; ) is a city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, located in the southern Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant, of which it is the largest municipality, and is also locat ...

, Netherlands contain three spherical tanks, each in diameter and capable of holding of water, on three spires were completed in 1970. File:Wasserturm Ehrang.jpg, Disused sphere-shaped railway water tower in

Trier Trier ( , ; ), formerly and traditionally known in English as Trèves ( , ) and Triers (see also Names of Trier in different languages, names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle (river), Moselle in Germany. It lies in a v ...

, Germany File:Pequot_Lakes_1.jpg,

Paul Bunyan Paul Bunyan is a giant lumberjack and folk hero in American and Canadian folklore. His tall tales revolve around his superhuman labors, and he is customarily accompanied by Babe the Blue Ox, his pet and working animal. The character originate ...

's Bobber Water Tower in

Pequot Lakes, Minnesota Pequot Lakes ( ) is a city in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,395 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census . It is part of the Brainerd micropolitan area. History Pequot Lakes was platted in March 1900. I ...

File:East Bay Water Tower.jpg, East Bay Township Water Tower near

Traverse City, Michigan Traverse City ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, Michigan, Grand Traverse County, although it partly extends into Leelanau County, Michigan, Leelanau County. The city's population was 15, ...

File:Waterbollen Eindhoven-02.jpg,

Water Towers, Netherlands File:Cocoa_water_tower_night.jpg,

Oblate spheroid A spheroid, also known as an ellipsoid of revolution or rotational ellipsoid, is a quadric surface obtained by rotating an ellipse about one of its principal axes; in other words, an ellipsoid with two equal semi-diameters. A spheroid has circu ...

water tower in

Cocoa Cocoa may refer to: Chocolate * Chocolate * ''Theobroma cacao'', the cocoa tree * Cocoa bean, seed of ''Theobroma cacao'' * Chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor, pure, liquid chocolate extracted from the cocoa bean, including both cocoa butter and ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

Decoration and Traditions

Water tower at University of South Florida

Water towers can be surrounded by ornate coverings including fancy

brickwork Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar. Typically, rows of bricks called '' courses'' are laid on top of one another to build up a structure such as a brick wall. Bricks may be differentiated from blocks by ...

, a large

ivy ''Hedera'', commonly called ivy (plural ivies), is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to Western Europe, Central Europe, Southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern ...

-covered trellis or they can be simply painted. Some city water towers have the name of the city painted in large letters on the roof, as a

navigation Navigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the motion, movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another.Bowditch, 2003:799. The field of navigation includes four general categories: land navig ...

al aid to

aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators because they a ...

s and

motorists Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a land vehicle, including cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses. A driver's permission to drive on public highways is granted based on a set of conditions being met, and drivers are required to ...

. Sometimes the decoration can be humorous. An example of this are water towers built side by side, labeled ''HOT'' and ''COLD''. Cities in the United States possessing side-by-side water towers labeled HOT and COLD include

Granger, Iowa Granger is a city in Dallas and Polk counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 1,654 at the time of the 2020 census, up 184% from 583 in 2000. It is part of the Des Moines– West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area. His ...

;

Canton, Kansas Canton is a city in McPherson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 685. It is named after Canton, Ohio. History Early history For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America was in ...

;

Pratt, Kansas Pratt is a city in and the county seat of Pratt County, Kansas, Pratt County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 6,603. It is home to Pratt Community College. History 19th c ...

, and St. Clair, Missouri.

Eveleth, Minnesota Eveleth is a city in St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,493 at the 2020 census. Eveleth is part of the Quad Cities, with Virginia, Gilbert, and Mountain Iron. U.S. Highway 53 and State Highway 37 (MN 37) are ...

at one time had two such towers, but no longer does.
Many small towns in the United States use their water towers to advertise local tourism, their local high school sports teams, or other locally notable facts. A "mushroom" water tower was built in

Örebro Örebro ( ; ) is the seventh-largest city in Sweden, the seat of Örebro Municipality, and capital of Örebro County. It is situated by the Närke Plain, near the lake Hjälmaren, a few kilometers inland along the small river Svartån, and ...

, Sweden and holds almost two million gallons of water.

Tallest

Alternatives

Alternatives to water towers are simple pumps mounted on top of the water pipes to increase the water pressure. This new approach is more straightforward, but also more subject to potential public health risks; if the pumps fail, then loss of water pressure may result in entry of contaminants into the water system. Most large water utilities do not use this approach, given the potential risks.

Examples

Australia

* Bankstown Reservoir,

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

Austria

* Wasserturm Amstetten * (Water tower with transmission antenna)

Belgium

* Mechelen-Zuid Watertoren

Brazil

Nave Espacial de Varginha The ''Nave Espacial de Varginha'' (, ''Varginha's spacecraft''), located in Varginha, Brazil, is a 20-meter-tall water tower with a disc-shaped water reservoir. It was built in 2001, and commemorates the so-called Varginha UFO incident The Varg ...

in Varginha

Canada

* Guaranteed Pure Milk bottle in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, Quebec

Croatia

Vukovar water tower The Vukovar water tower () is a water tower in the Croatian city of Vukovar. It is one of the most famous symbols of Vukovar and the suffering of the city in the Battle of Vukovar and the Croatian War of Independence, when the water tower and t ...

Vukovar Vukovar (; sr-Cyrl, Вуковар, , ) is a city in Croatia, in the eastern Regions of Croatia, regions of Syrmia and Slavonia. It contains Croatia's largest river port, located at the confluence of the Vuka (river), Vuka and the Danube. Vukova ...

Denmark

* Svaneke water tower

Finland

* Mustankallio water tower in

Lahti Lahti (; ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Päijät-Häme. It is located in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Lahti is approximately , while the Lahti sub-region, sub-region has a population of approximately . It is the mo ...

Germany

Lüneburg Water Tower Lüneburg Water Tower () is a water tower in the southeastern part of the Lüneburg old town in Lower Saxony, Germany, built by the architect Franz Krüger (architect), Franz Krüger (1873–1936), from designs by Richard Kampf. Its erection was ...

* Heidelberg TV Tower (TV tower with water reservoir) *

Mannheim Water Tower The Water Tower (German language, German: ''Wasserturm'') is a well-known landmark of Mannheim, Germany. The water tower was built from 1886 to 1889 on the present Frederick Square (''Friedrichsplatz'') by Gustav Halmhuber. The tower, which is ...

(built 1886–1889)

Kuwait

, which include two water reservoirs, and

Kuwait Water Towers The Kuwait Water Towers are a prominent group of 31 water towers in Kuwait City, Kuwait that were completed in 1976. Design and construction In 1965, the government of Kuwait commissioned the Swedish engineering company of VBB (since 1997 Sweco) ...

(Mushroom towers in

Kuwait City Kuwait City (; ) is the capital and largest city of Kuwait. Located at the heart of the country on the south shore of Kuwait Bay on the Persian Gulf, it is the political, cultural and economic center of the emirate, containing Kuwait's Seif Pal ...

India

* Tala tank in

Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...

Italy

* Ginosa Water Tower, tall

Netherlands

Amsterdamsestraatweg Water Tower The Amsterdamsestraatweg Water Tower is located in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The water tower was built at Amsterdamsestraatweg 380 in 1916, in the style of the Amsterdam School. It became derelict in 1986 and was repeatedly squatted before its red ...

in Utrecht * Eindhoven Water Towers in

Poldertoren The Poldertoren is a water tower at the town center of Emmeloord, Netherlands. The Dutch name Poldertoren could be translated as Polder Tower. The 65-meter tower was built in 1959 and has a large carillon. The tower is no longer in use as a w ...

Emmeloord Emmeloord is the administrative centre of the municipality of Noordoostpolder, Flevoland, Netherlands. In 2019, it had a population of 26,055. Overview At the heart of the Noordoostpolder, where the three main drainage canals Lemstervaart, Urk ...

* Water Tower Simpelveld in

Simpelveld Simpelveld (; ) is a municipality and a town in the southeastern Netherlands. It is part of the municipal cooperative unit Parkstad Limburg. Simpelveld is part of the ''Mergelland'', named after the presence of chalk (mergel), hill country popu ...

* Water Tower Hellevoetsluis in

Hellevoetsluis Hellevoetsluis () is a town and former municipality in the west of Netherlands. It is located in Voorne-Putten, South Holland. The former municipality covered an area of of which was water and it included the population centres of Nieuw-Helvoe ...

Poland

Wrocław Water Tower Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...

* Old Water Tower, Bydgoszcz

Romania

* Fabric Water Tower * Iosefin Water Tower * Oltenița Water Tower * Turnu Măgurele Water Tower

Slovakia

Water Tower A water tower is an elevated structure supporting a water tank constructed at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system, distribution system for potable water, and to provide emergency storage for fire protection. Water towe ...

Komárno Komárno (, , ), colloquially also called ''Révkomárom'', ''Öregkomárom'', ''Észak-Komárom'' in Hungarian language, Hungarian, is a town in Slovakia at the confluence of the Danube and the Váh rivers. Historically it was formed by the "old ...

Trnava Trnava (, , ; , also known by other #Names and etymology, alternative names) is a city in western Slovakia, to the northeast of Bratislava, on the Trnávka river. It is the capital of the Trnava Region and the Trnava District. It is the seat o ...

Slovenia

* Brežice Water Tower in

Brežice Brežice (; ) is a town in eastern Slovenia in the Lower Sava Valley, near the Croatian border. It is the seat of the Municipality of Brežice. It lies in the center of the Brežice Plain (), which is part of the larger Krka Flat (). The area w ...

Sweden

* Vanadislundens water reservoir (Stockholm)

United Kingdom

* Cardiff Central Station Water Tower *

Dock Tower Grimsby Dock Tower is a hydraulic accumulator tower and a maritime landmark at the entrance to the Royal Dock, Grimsby, in North East Lincolnshire, England. It was completed on 27 March 1852, based on William Armstrong's idea of the hydrauli ...

Grimsby Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town in Lincolnshire, England with a population of 86,138 (as of 2021). It is located near the mouth on the south bank of the Humber that flows to the North Sea. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes dir ...

House in the Clouds The House in the Clouds is a water tower built to incorporate a residential home, in Thorpeness, Suffolk, England. The structure was built in 1923 to receive water pumped from Thorpeness Windmill, and was designed to improve the looks of the w ...

Thorpeness Thorpeness is a seaside village in the East Suffolk district of Suffolk, England, which developed in the early 20th century into an exclusive resort. It belongs to the parish of Aldringham cum Thorpe and lies within the Suffolk Coast and Heat ...

, Suffolk *

Jumbo Jumbo (December 25, 1860 – September 15, 1885), also known as Jumbo the Elephant and Jumbo the Circus Elephant, was a 19th-century male African bush elephant born in Sudan. Jumbo was exported to Jardin des Plantes, a zoo in Paris, and then tr ...

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in northeastern Essex, England. It is the second-largest settlement in the county, with a population of 130,245 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census. The demonym is ''Colcestrian''. Colchester occupies the ...

, Essex *

Norton Water Tower Norton Water Tower is a water tower in Norton, Runcorn, Cheshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building. History It was built between 1888 and 1892 on the water pipelin ...

in Norton,

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Merseyside to the north-west, Greater Manchester to the north-east, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire to the south-east, and Shrop ...

Tilehurst Water Tower Tilehurst Water Tower, is a distinctive water tower in Tilehurst, a suburb of the English town of Reading. People from Reading know they are near home when they are coming eastbound along the M4 and they can see the top of the tower. Although in r ...

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...

Tower Park Tower Park is a leisure and retail park, located at Mannings Heath, in Poole, Dorset, England. It was one of the first complexes of its kind in Europe when it opened in 1989. History The leisure park, which opened in 1989, was a development ini ...

Poole Poole () is a coastal town and seaport on the south coast of England in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area in Dorset, England. The town is east of Dorchester, Dorset, Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east ...

, Dorset *

Cranhill Cranhill is an inner city district and housing scheme in the north east of Glasgow, Scotland. Cranhill was developed from public funding in the early 1950s and was originally, chiefly composed of four-storey tenement blocks surrounding a patc ...

Garthamlock Garthamlock (from the Gaelic "Gart Thamhlachd"-burial enclosure) is a suburb in the north-east of the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated north of the River Clyde. Provanhall is the nearest neighbourhood to the east; Craigend is directly t ...

and

Drumchapel Drumchapel (), known locally as 'The Drum', is a district in the north-west of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It borders Bearsden (in East Dunbartonshire) to the north-east and Drumry (part of Clydebank, in West Dunbartonshire) to the south-wes ...

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

, and

Tannochside Tannochside is a settlement southeast of Glasgow, Scotland. Although historically considered part of Uddingston, it lies within a separate local authority area: Tannochside is contained within the boundaries of North Lanarkshire council (situate ...

just outside the city

United States

* Brooks Catsup Bottle Water Tower near

Collinsville, Illinois Collinsville is a city located mainly in Madison County and partially in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 24,366. Collinsville is approximately east of St. Louis, Missouri, and is ...

Chicago Water Tower The Chicago Water Tower is a contributing property and landmark in the Old Chicago Water Tower District in Chicago, Illinois, United States, that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built to enclose the tall machinery of a po ...

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Florence Y'all Water Tower The Florence Y'all Water Tower is a water tower owned by the city of Florence, Kentucky, Florence, Kentucky, United States. It stands between the Florence Mall (Kentucky), Florence Mall and Interstate 75 in Kentucky, Interstate 75/Interstate 71, ...

Florence, Kentucky Florence is a city in Boone County, Kentucky, United States, part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area. The population was 31,946 at the 2020 census, making it the second-most populous city in Northern Kentucky, the eighth-most populous city i ...

* Lawson Tower in

Scituate, Massachusetts Scituate () is a seacoast town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, on the South Shore, midway between Boston and Plymouth. The population was 19,063 at the 2020 census. History The Wampanoag and their neighbors inhabited the ar ...

* Leaning Water Tower in

Groom, Texas Groom is a town in Carson County, Texas, Carson County, Texas, United States. The population was 552 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is part of the Amarillo, Texas Amarillo metropolitan area, Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is ...

North Point Water Tower The North Point Water Tower was built in 1873 and 1874 as part of Milwaukee, Wisconsin's first public waterworks, with Victorian Gothic styling unusually handsome for a water tower. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. ...

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

Peachoid The Peachoid is a tall water tower in Gaffney, South Carolina, U.S., that resembles a peach. The water tower holds one million U.S. gallons (3.78541 million litres) of water and is located off Peachoid Road by Interstate 85 in South Carolina, I ...

next to

I-85 Interstate 85 (I-85) is a major Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with I-65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus is an interchange with I-95 in Petersburg, Virginia, n ...

on the edge of

Gaffney, South Carolina Gaffney is a city in and the county seat, seat of Cherokee County, South Carolina, United States, in the upstate South Carolina, Upstate region of South Carolina. Gaffney is known as the "Peach Capital of South Carolina". The population was 12,53 ...

Show Place Arena The Show Place Arena is a 5,800-seat multi-purpose arena just south of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, which is used for sporting events, concerts, boxing and professional wrestling events, consumer shows, trade shows, religious services, graduations an ...

water tower in Upper Marlboro,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

* Union Watersphere in Union Township, New Jersey * Volunteer Park Water Tower in

Capitol Hill, Seattle, Washington Capitol Hill is a densely populated residential district and a List of neighborhoods in Seattle, neighborhood in Seattle, Washington (state), Washington, United States. It is immediately east of Downtown Seattle and north of First Hill, Seattle, ...

Warner Bros. Water Tower The Warner Bros. Water Tower is a historic water tower located at the Warner Bros. Studios Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. Built in 1927, it stands tall. The tank, which had a capacity of , is no longer used to hold water. ...

Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank had a Census-estimated population of 102,755 as of 2023. The city was ...

(In the animated TV series ''

Animaniacs ''Animaniacs'' is an American Animated series, animated Comedy television, comedy Musical film, musical television series created by Tom Ruegger and produced by Warner Bros. Television Animation. It originally aired on Fox Broadcasting Company ...

'', it was used to incarcerate the characters

Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner, usually referred to as the Warner Brothers (and the only Warner Sister) or just the Warners, are the fictional protagonists of the American animated series ''Animaniacs''. Created by Tom Ruegger, the Warners are ...

, as well as to serve as their home.) * Weehawken Water Tower in

Weehawken, New Jersey Weehawken is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located on the Hudson Waterfront and Hudson Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's po ...

Ypsilanti Water Tower The Ypsilanti Water Tower is a historic water tower in Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States. The tower was designed by William R. Coats and built as part of an elaborate city waterworks project that began in 1889. Located on the highest point in Y ...

Ypsilanti, Michigan Ypsilanti ( ), commonly shortened to Ypsi ( ), is a college town and city located on the Huron River in Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city's popu ...

(Winner of the

Most Phallic Building contest Phallic architecture consciously or unconsciously creates a symbolic representation of the human penis. Buildings intentionally or unintentionally resembling the human penis are a source of amusement to locals and tourists in various places around ...

in 2003)

Standpipe

A standpipe is a water tower which is cylindrical (or nearly cylindrical) throughout its whole height, rather than an elevated tank on supports with a narrower pipe leading to and from the ground. Louisville water tower

There were originally over 400 standpipe water towers in the United States, but very few remain today, including: * Addison Standpipe, in

Addison, Michigan Addison is a village in Lenawee County, Michigan, Lenawee County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 573 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The village is located on the boundary between Rollin Township, Michigan, Roll ...

* Belton Standpipe in

Belton, South Carolina Belton is a city in eastern Anderson County, South Carolina. The population was 4,134 at the 2010 census. History In 1845 a group was created to connect the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region of South Carolina by rail to the existing rai ...

(also in Allendale and Walterboro) *Belton Standpipe in Belton, Texas * Bellevue Standpipe (actually a water tank, not a tower), in

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, in

* Cochituate standpipe, in

Craig, Nebraska Craig is a village in Burt County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 199 at the 2010 census. History During the 19th century the land near Craig was inhabited by the Pawnee, Otoe-Missouria, and Omaha people. American Indian inhabi ...

standpipe * Eden Park Stand Pipe, in

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

* Evansville Standpipe (a steel tower), in

Evansville, Wisconsin Evansville is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,703 at the 2020 census. Evansville is a part of the Janesville- Beloit Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Madison-Janesville-Beloit CSA. History Evansvil ...

* Fall River Waterworks, in

Fall River, Massachusetts Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States census, making it the List of municipalities in Massachusetts, tenth-largest city in the state, and the second- ...

* Forbes Hill Standpipe, in

Quincy, Massachusetts Quincy ( ) is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest city in the county. Quincy is part of the Greater Boston area as one of Boston's immediate southern suburbs. Its population in ...

* Louisville Water Tower, in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

, in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

* Reading Standpipe (demolished in 1999 and replaced by a modern steel tower), in

Reading, Massachusetts Reading ( ) is a New England town, town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, north of central Boston. The population was 25,518 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History Settlement Many of the Massachusetts Bay Colony ...

* Roxbury High Fort contains the Cochituate Standpipe * St. Louis, Missouri has three standpipe water towers which are on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. ** Bissell Tower (also known as the Red Tower) ** Compton Hill Tower **

Grand Avenue Water Tower The Grand Avenue Water Tower is a water tower located at the intersection of Grand Boulevard and 20th Street in the College Hill neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. It is the oldest extant water tower in St. Louis, pre-dating both the Bissell St ...

* Thomas Hill Standpipe, in

Bangor, Maine Bangor ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The city proper has a population of 31,753, making it the state's List of municipalities in Maine, third-most populous city, behind Portland, Maine, Portland ...

, in

* Bremen Water Tower, in

Bremen, Indiana Bremen ( ) is a town in German Township, Marshall County, Indiana, United States. The population was 4,696 at the 2020 census. History Bremen was platted and laid out in 1851. A large portion of the early settlers being natives of Germany caus ...

Gallery

File:View of Garden Reach Water Tower, Pune.jpg, Water tower in

Pune Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...

File:Wasserturm Rybnik.jpg, Water tower in

Rybnik Rybnik (Polish pronunciation: ; ) is a city in southern Poland, in the Silesian Voivodeship, around 38 km (24 mi) southwest of Katowice, the region's capital, and around 19 km (11 mi) from the Czech Republic, Czech border. It i ...

, Poland File:Viljandi vana veetorn.jpg, Water tower in

Viljandi Viljandi (, , , , ) is a Populated places in Estonia, town and Municipalities of Estonia, municipality in southern Estonia with a population of 17,255 in 2024. It is the capital of Viljandi County and is geographically located between two major ...

, Estonia File:Tesoman Vesitorni.jpg, Water tower in

Tesoma Tesoma is a district in Tampere, Finland, located west of the city centre. It largely comprises Lake Tesoma with its surroundings, including the quarters: Epilänharju, Tohloppi, Haukiluoma, Lamminpää, Myllypuro, Ikuri, Ristimäki and Tesoma ...

Tampere Tampere is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Pirkanmaa. It is located in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Tampere is approximately , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately . It is the most populous mu ...

, Finland File:19th century water tower in Szprotawa Poland.jpg, Water tower in

Szprotawa Szprotawa is a town in western Poland, in Żagań County, Lubusz Voivodeship. It has 11,820 inhabitants (2019). History The region was part of Poland after the emergence of the Piast monarchy in the 10th century. The first mention of today's Sz ...

, built 1867 by a company J&A Aird from

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

File:Warner Bros Studios (51212906920).jpg, The

. File:2017-07-25 UC Tower.jpg, Water tower in United College,

The Chinese University of Hong Kong The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a public university, public research university in Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong. Established in 1963 as a federation of three university college, collegesChung Chi College, New Asia Coll ...

File:New Asia Water Tower 2012.jpg, Water tower in

New Asia College New Asia College is a List of the constituent colleges of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, constituent college of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, a public university in New Territories, Hong Kong. The College was founded in 1949 by a g ...

File:UCD Water Tower - geograph.org.uk - 303601.jpg,

University College Dublin University College Dublin (), commonly referred to as UCD, is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 38,417 students, it is Ireland's largest ...

water tower

References

External links

International Watertower Archive

Website about 1000 watertowers from Poland
{{DEFAULTSORT:Water Tower Towers

History

Design and construction

Architecture

Spheres and spheroids

Decoration and Traditions

Tallest

Alternatives

Examples

Australia

Austria

Belgium

Brazil

Canada

Croatia

Denmark

Finland

Germany

Kuwait

India

Italy

Netherlands

Poland

Romania

Slovakia

Slovenia

Sweden

United Kingdom

United States

Standpipe

Gallery

See also

References

External links