Water tower
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2008-07-08T06:06:21Z
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{{Refimprove|date=April 2008}}
{{For|the water tower in Chicago|Chicago Water Tower}}
{{For|the skyscraper in Chicago|Water Tower Place}}
[[Image:Louisville water tower.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Completed in 1860, the [[Louisville Water Tower]] was the first modern water tower in the world]]
A '''water tower''', '''watershed''', or '''elevated water tower''' is a large elevated water storage container. The term tower speaks to its elevation and is constructed for the purpose of holding a supply of water at a height sufficient to pressurize a [[water supply]] distribution system. Pressurization occurs through the elevation of water; for every 2.34 feet of elevation 1 PSI (pounds of pressure per square inch) is produced. 100 feet of elevation (@2.34=1PSI) produces 42.6 PSI of pressure, which is enough pressure to operate and provide for most domestic water pressure and distribution system requirements.
Many water towers were constructed during the [[industrial revolution]] and some of these are now considered [[architecture|architectural]] [[landmark]]s and [[monument]]s and may not be demolished. Some are converted to [[apartment]]s or exclusive [[penthouse apartment|penthouse]]s.
In certain areas, such as [[New York City]], smaller water towers are constructed for individual buildings. The view from the roofs of New York include hundreds of water towers.
== Construction ==
A variety of materials are used to construct the typical water tower; [[steel]], and [[reinforced concrete|reinforced]] or [[prestressed concrete]] are the most often utilized with wood, fiberglass even [[brick]] in use today. The tower is usually [[sphere|spherical]], [[Cylinder (geometry)|cylindrical]], or an [[ellipsoid]], and has a minimum height of approximately 20 [[foot (unit of height)|feet]] and a minimum of (12 ft) in diameter. A standard water tower typically has a height of approximately 120 feet (40 m). Most water towers made of these materials will then have an interior coating to protect the water from the effects of the containment material.
== Purpose ==
[[Image:Shooters Hill.JPG|thumb|[[Shooter's Hill]] water tower is a local landmark; water towers are very common around [[London]] suburbs]]
The users of the water supply (a town, factory, or just a building) need to have water pressure to maintain the safety of the water supply. If a water supply is not pressurized sufficiently, several things can happen:
* Water may not reach the upper floors of a building;
* Water may not spray from a [[tap (valve)|tap]] with sufficient [[Rate of fluid flow|flow]]
* Without a water tower, parts of gravity flow water supply systems in hilly areas may be subject to negative pressures (see [[siphon]]). Negative pressure in the system may cause shallow [[groundwater]] to be [[suction|sucked]] into a leaky water supply system, polluting it with [[microorganism]]s, dirt, sand, [[fertilizer]]s, and any other [[toxic]] [[contaminant]]s that may be in the groundwater;
* Water towers are able to supply water even during power outages, because they rely on pressure produced by elevation of water (due to [[gravity]]) to push the water pipes into domestic and industrial water distribution systems; however, they cannot supply water for a long time without electricity because a pump is required to refill the tower.
* A further purpose is that a water tower 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.
== Operation ==
[[Image:Roihuvuori watertower2.png|thumb|left|250px|How Roihuvuori water tower works:<br>
1. Pump station<br>
2. Reservoir<br>
3. Water user]]
The height of the tower provides the [[Fluid statics #Hydrostatic pressure|hydrostatic pressure]] for the water supply system, and it may be supplemented with a [[pump]]. The volume of the [[reservoir (water)|reservoir]] and [[diameter]] 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 low demands jockey pumps are used to meet these lower water flow rate requirements. The feed from these pumps and a water tower first go to a [[Hydropneumatic Pressure Vessel]]. This Pressure Vessel is an Air over Water Device, used to produce a consistent pressure with either a force (PSI) generated by pump or the water tower's hydrostatic force in combination with a trapped volume of air; this is where the water meets the citizens' demand for a constantly varying output pressure wate supply. 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.
== Decoration ==
[[Image:The House in the Clouds, Thorpeness.jpg|thumb|150px|right|''The House in the Clouds'' in [[Thorpeness]] functioned as the town's water tower until 1923.]]
Water towers can be surrounded by ornate coverings including fancy [[brickwork]], a large [[ivy]]-covered [[Trellis (agriculture)|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]]al aid to [[aviator]]s. Sometimes the decoration can be humorous, as [[Granger, Iowa]] has two water towers, labeled HOT and COLD. ''The [[House in the Clouds]]'' in [[Thorpeness]] was built to resemble a house in order to disguise the eyesore, whilst the lower floors were used for accommodation. When the town was connected to the mains water supply, the water tower was dismantled and converted to additional living space.
[[Sapp Bros.]] truck stops use a water tower with a handle and spout -- looking like a coffee pot -- as the company logo. Many of their facilities have decorated actual water towers (presumably non-functional) on-site.
The first and original "Mushroom" -- Svampen in Swedish -- was built in [[Örebro]] in [[Sweden]] in the early 1950s and later copies were built around the world including Saudi-Arabia and Kuwait.{{Fact|date=September 2007}}
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 factoids (see images below).
== Uses today ==
[[Image:Roihuvuori water tower - Helsinki Finland.jpg|thumb|The mushroom-shaped concrete water tower of [[Roihuvuori]] in [[Helsinki]], [[Finland]] was built in the 1970s. It is 52 metres high and can hold around 12,000 m³ of water.]]
Water towers are very common in [[India]], where the electricity supply is erratic in most places.
In many countries, water towers have been taken out of the water supply system and replaced by pumps alone. Water towers are often regarded to be the monuments of [[civil engineering]]. Some are rejuvenated and converted to serve modern purposes. A good example of the latter is [[Wieża Ciśnień]] in [[Wroclaw]], [[Poland]].
{{Fact|date=June 2007}}
Historically those railroads that made use of the [[steam locomotive]]s required a means of replenishing the locomotive's water reservoirs. Water Towers were common along the railroad. Filling these reservoirs was most commonly achieved by means of a water tower feeding one or more [[water crane]]s, usually located at stations and locomotive sheds.
Some water towers are also used as observation towers. There are even water towers with restaurants, such as the [[Goldbergturm]] in [[Sindelfingen]], [[Germany]]. It is also common to use water towers as the location of [[Transmission (telecommunications)|transmission]] mechanisms in the [[Ultra high frequency|UHF]] range with small power, for instance for closed rural broadcasting service, portable radio, or [[cellular telephone]] service.
Water towers can be transformed into homes for adventurous and creative people like Wasserturm Utscheid Buscht in Rheinland Pfalz close to the Luxemburg border.[http://www.watertowerutscheid.eu Watertower Utscheid]
==New York City==
[[Image:NewYorkCityWaterTower.JPG|thumb|200px|Water towers are ubiquitous in the [[New York City]] skyline]]
In the 1800s, [[New York City]] required that all buildings higher than 6 stories be equipped with a rooftop water tower. This was necessary to prevent the need for excessively high pressures at lower elevations, which could burst pipes. In modern times, the towers have become fashionable in some circles. [[As of 2006]], the neighborhood of [[Tribeca]] requires water towers on all buildings, whether or not they are being used. Two companies in New York build water towers, both of which are [[family business]]es in operation since the 1800s.<ref>"Wondering About Water Towers" by Debbie Elliott. ''[[All Things Considered]]'', 2 Dec 2006. [[National Public Radio]]. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6567297 (includes pictures)</ref>
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 walls are held together with cables but leak through every gap when first filled. As the water saturates the wood it swells, the gaps close and become impermeable.<ref name="Times article">{{cite news|title=Longtime Emblems of City Roofs, Still Going Strong|author=Charles, Jacoba|publisher=The New York Times|date=2007-06-03|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/nyregion/thecity/03wate.html?_r=1&ref=thecity&oref=login}}</ref>
The rooftop water towers store 5,000 to 10,000 gallons 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 actuate a pump or open a public water line, to refill the water tower.<ref name="Times article" />
{{seealso|Architecture in New York City}}
{{Expand-section|date=June 2008}}
== Famous towers ==
[[Image:CornWaterTower.JPG|thumb|Water tower painted as an ear of corn]]
<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:water_tower_brezice.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Water Tower in Brežice]] -->
Famous water towers in the [[United States]] include:
* [[Chicago Water Tower]]
* [[Volunteer Park]] Water Tower, [[Capitol Hill, Seattle, Washington]]
* [[Warner Bros. Studios]] Water Tower, [[Burbank, California]] (In the animated TV series ''[[Animaniacs]]'', it was used to incarcerate the characters [[Yakko, Wakko, and Dot]], as well as their home.)
* [[Peachoid]] next to [[I-85]] on the edge of [[Gaffney, South Carolina]]
* [[Earful Tower]] at [[Disney's Hollywood Studios]]
* [[Florence Y'all Water Tower]] in [[Florence, Kentucky]]
* [http://www.worldstallestwatersphere.com/ Union Water Sphere] in [[Union Township, Union County, New Jersey|Union Township, New Jersey]]
* [[Ypsilanti Water Tower]]- Winner of the [[Most Phallic Building contest]]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:CornWaterTowerRochesterMNday.jpg Corn Cob Water Tower] in [[Rochester, Minnesota]]
Famous water towers in the UK include:
* [[Dock Tower]] in [[Grimsby]]
* [[House in the Clouds]] in [[Thorpeness]], [[Suffolk]]
* [[Jumbo Water Tower|Jumbo]] in [[Colchester]], [[Essex]]
Famous water towers in [[Slovenia]] include:
* [[Brežice Water Tower]] in [[Brežice]]
== See also ==
{{portalpar|Water|Drinking water.jpg}}
*[[Hyperboloid structure]]
*[[American Water Landmark]]
== References ==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{external links}}
{{commons|Water tower}}
* [http://www.flickr.com/groups/miwatertowers/ Michigan Water Towers Group (photos) on Flickr]
* [http://viztorony.hu Images of Hungarian water towers]
* [http://www.eureka4you.com/watertowers/index.htm Images of Canadian water towers and standpipes]
* [http://science.howstuffworks.com/water.htm HowStuffWorks.com on Water Towers]
* [http://www.muuka.com/finnishpumpkin/towers/tower.html Photographs of different kinds of water towers in Finland]
* [http://www.catsupbottle.com/ World's Largest Catsup Bottle Website]
* [http://www.watertowers.de/ International Watertower Archive]
* [http://www.tfh-berlin.de/~rau/wassertuerme.html German Watertower Archive]
* [http://towerspotting.blogspot.com/ Watertowers of Bucharest, Romania]
* [[Bernd and Hilla Becher]]: ''[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/026202277X Water Towers]'', ISBN 0-262-02277-X (photographic book)
*[http://watertank.net/why-we-use-plastic.html Water Storage Considerations Specifically CFR Title 21 Part 129. US Government document]
* [http://www.steel.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Pipes_and_Tanks1&TEMPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=1634 American Steel and Iron Institute list of water towers]
* [http://www.worldstallestwatersphere.com/ World's Tallest Water Sphere] - Fan site for the Union (NJ) Water Sphere
==Gallery==
<center><gallery>
Image:First Shukhov Tower Nizhny Novgorod 1896.jpg|Water tower by [[Vladimir Shukhov|V.Shukhov]] - the world's first [[hyperboloid structure]], [[Russia]], 1896
Image:Grandview.JPG|The local water tower at [[Grandview]] in [[Hampton, Virginia]].
Image:Kimberley Water Tower, Nottinghamshire.JPG|Brick-built water tower in [[Kimberley, Nottinghamshire]], UK.
Image:ChateauDeauAmericainSaintParizeLeChatel.jpg|Water tower at Saint-Parize-Le-Chatel, France.
Image:Collinsville_watertower.jpg|Unique water tower in the shape of a [[ketchup]] bottle, [[Collinsville, Illinois]] (This is also the world's largest ketchup bottle.)
Image:Colmar-watertower.jpg|Old water tower in [[Colmar]], [[France]].
Image:Water tower - Gödöllő.jpg|Water tower - Gödöllő, Hungary
Image:Víztorony - Gyöngyös.jpg|Water Tower - Gyöngyös, Hungary
Image:Tonwell Water Tower.jpg|1960s water tower shaped like a cone, [[Tonwell]], [[Hertfordshire]]
Image:GaffneySCPeachoidAtNight.jpg|The [[Peachoid]] water tower in Gaffney, South Carolina, United States, built in 1981
Image:Kuwaittowers.jpg|The [[Kuwait Towers]] in Kuwait City, built in 1979
Image:NicolletWaterTowers.jpg|The old and new water towers in [[Nicollet, Minnesota]]
Image:Melbourne Water Tower (Florida) 1.jpg|Water tower in [[Melbourne, Florida|Melbourne]], Florida
<!-- Unsourced image removed: Image:Dickinson,Texas water tower.JPG |Water tower in [[Dickinson, Texas]] -->
<!-- Unsourced image removed: Image:La Marque, Texas water tower.JPG|The water tower in [[La Marque, Texas]] -->
Image:Claxton-tower.jpg|Water tower in [[Claxton, Georgia]]
Image:Water tower in Blaine, MN.jpg|Water tower in [[Blaine, Minnesota]]
Image:Salina_watertower_2006.JPG|A typical [[Midwest]]ern water tower in [[Salina, Kansas]]
Image:AuburnWatertower.png|[[Auburn Tigers]]-themed tower in [[Auburn, Alabama|Auburn]], [[Alabama]]
Image:Pawc.jpg|Power and Water owned Water Tower located in [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]], [[Australia]]
Image:Darwin Airport Water Tower.jpg|Large water tower in [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]], [[Australia]]
Image:Former Darwin RAAF control and water tower.jpg|Former [[RAAF Base Darwin|Darwin RAAF]] control and water tower.
</gallery></center>
[[Category:Water towers|*]]
[[Category:Water supply]]
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