A water tower, watershed, or elevated water tower is a very large elevated tower. The Water Tower of Louisville Kentucky, is the oldest ornamental water tower in the world having been built before the more famous Chicago Water Tower. Constructed for the purpose of holding a supply of water at a height sufficient to pressurize a water supply distribution system. Water supply is the process of self-provision or provision by third parties of water of various qualities to different users 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 architectural landmarks and monuments and may not be demolished. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the The term architecture (from Greek αρχιτεκτονικήarchitektoniki) can be used to mean a process a profession or documentation Originally a landmark literally meant a Geographic Feature used by explorers and A monument is a structure either explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of past Some are converted to apartments or exclusive penthouses. A penthouse apartment or penthouse is an Apartment or Condominium that is on one of the highest floors of an Apartment building or condominium
In certain areas, such as New York City, smaller water towers are constructed for individual buildings. The City of New York The view from the roofs of New York include hundreds of water towers.
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Construction
A variety of materials are used to construct the typical water tower; steel, and reinforced or prestressed concrete are the most often utilized with wood, fiberglsas even brick in use today. Steel is an Alloy consisting mostly of Iron, with a Carbon content between 0 Reinforced concrete is Concrete in which reinforcement bars (" Rebars quot or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen a material that would otherwise be Prestressed concrete is a method for overcoming the Concrete 's natural weakness in tension. A brick is a block of Ceramic material used in Masonry construction laid using mortar. The tower is usually spherical, cylindrical, or an ellipsoid, and has a minimum height of approximately 20 feet and a minimum of (12feet) in diameter. "Globose" redirects here See also Globose nucleus. A sphere (from Greek σφαίρα - sphaira, "globe A cylinder is one of the most basic curvilinear geometric shapes the Surface formed by the points at a fixed distance from a given Straight line, the axis An ellipsoid is a type of quadric surface that is a higher dimensional analogue of an Ellipse. A standard water tower has a typically has a height of approximately 120 feet (40 metres). 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
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. Shooter's Hill (or Shooters Hill) is a place and an electoral ward in the London Borough of Greenwich in south-east London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. 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 with sufficient flow
- Without a water tower, parts of gravity flow water supply systems in hilly areas may be subject to negative pressures (see siphon). The volumetric flow rate in Fluid dynamics and Hydrometry, (also known as volume flow rate or rate of fluid flow) is the volume of fluid which A siphon (also spelled syphon) is a continuous tube that allows liquid to drain from a reservoir through an intermediate point that is higher than the reservoir the flow being Negative pressure in the system may cause shallow groundwater to be sucked into a leaky water supply system, polluting it with microorganisms, dirt, sand, fertilizers, and any other toxic contaminants 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(s) is required to refill the tower. Groundwater is Water located beneath the Ground surface in Soil pore spaces and in the Fractures of lithologic formations Suction is the flow of a fluid into a partial Vacuum, or region of low pressure A microorganism (also spelled micro organism or micro-organism and also called a microbe) is an Organism that is Microscopic (usually Fertilizers ( also spelt fertiliser are chemical compounds given to Plants to promote growth they are usually applied either through the soil for uptake by plant Toxicity is the degree to which a substance is able to damage an exposed organism Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability disorder harm or discomfort to the physical systems or living organisms they are in Gravitation is a natural Phenomenon by which objects with Mass attract one another
- 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(s) 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
1. Pump station
2. Reservoir
3. Water user
The height of the tower provides the hydrostatic pressure for the water supply system, and it may be supplemented with a pump. Fluid statics (also called hydrostatics) is the Science of Fluids at rest and is a sub-field within Fluid mechanics. For information on Wikipedia project-related discussions see WikipediaVillage pump. The volume of the reservoir and diameter of the piping provide and sustain flow rate. A reservoir is most broadly a place or hollow vessel where Fluid is kept in Reserve, for later use Geometry, a diameter of a Circle is any straight Line segment that passes through the center of the circle and whose Endpoints are on the 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 tank. This tank is use to provide consistent pressure with either a force (PSI) generated by pump or the water tower's hydrostatic force; this is where the water meets the citizens' demand for a constantly varying output pressure. The water tower reduces the need for 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. For information on Wikipedia project-related discussions see WikipediaVillage pump.
Very high 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
Water towers can be surrounded by ornate coverings including fancy brickwork, a large ivy-covered trellis or they can be simply painted. Brickwork Masonry is produced when a Bricklayer uses Bricks and mortar to build up structures such as Walls Bridges and Hedera (English name ivy, plural ivies) is a genus of 15 species of climbing or ground-creeping Evergreen woody plants in the family A trellis is a structure usually made from interwoven pieces of wood bamboo or metal that is often made to support a Climbing plant or plants Some city water towers have the name of the city painted in large letters on the roof, as a navigational aid to aviators. Navigation is the process of reading and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another Sometimes the decoration can be humorous, as Granger, Iowa has two water towers, labeled HOT and COLD. Granger is a city in Dallas and Polk counties in the US state of Iowa. 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. The House in the Clouds is a Water tower at Thorpeness, Suffolk, UK Thorpeness is a village in the county of Suffolk, England. It is part of the parish of Aldringham cum Thorpe and is within the Suffolk Coast and When the town was connected to the mains water supply, the tank 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. Örebro is a city in Närke in central Sweden. Örebro is the seat of Örebro Municipality and the capital of Örebro County. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation.
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). The United States of America —commonly referred to as the
Uses today
Water towers are very common in India, where the electricity supply is erratic in most places. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country
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. Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design construction and maintenance of the physical and naturally built Some are rejuvenated and converted to serve modern purposes. A good example of the latter is Wieża Ciśnień in Wroclaw, Poland. Wieża Ciśnień is a Water tower situated in Borek the district of Krzyki that is the southern borough of Wrocław, Poland. Wrocław (Breslau Vratislav Vratislavia or Wratislavia Yiddish: ברעסלוי) is the chief City of the historical region of Lower Silesia Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland
Historically those railroads that made use of the steam locomotives required a means of replenishing the locomotive's water reservoirs. A steam locomotive is a Locomotive powered by Steam. The term usually refers to its use on Railways but can also refer to a "road locomotive" 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 cranes, usually located at stations and locomotive sheds. A water crane is a device used for delivering a large volume of Water into the tank or tender of a Steam locomotive.
Some water towers are also used as observation towers. There are even water towers with restaurants, such as the Goldbergturm in Sindelfingen, Germany. The Goldbergturm is a 51 metre high Water tower on the Goldberg ( gold mountain) at in Sindelfingen, Germany. Sindelfingen is a town in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. It is also common to use water towers as the location of transmission mechanisms in the UHF range with small power, for instance for closed rural broadcasting service, portable radio, or cellular telephone service. In Telecommunications transmission is the process of sending propagating and receiving an analogue or digital information signal over a physical point-to-point or
Last but not least, watertowers can be transformed into homes for adventurous and creative people like Wasserturm Utscheid Buscht in Rheinland Pfalz close to the Luxemburg border. Watertower Utscheid
New York City
In the 1800s, New York City required that all buildings higher than 6 stories be equipped with a rooftop water tower. The City of New York The City of New York 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. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. TriBeCa is a Neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York in the United States. Two companies in New York build water towers, both of which are family businesses in operation since the 1800s. A family business is a business in which one or more members of one or more families have a significant ownership interest and significant commitments toward the business’ overall well-being [1] 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. Tank walls are held together with cables but leak through every gap when first filled. As the wood swells, the gaps close and become impermeable. [2]
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 tank 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. [2]
- See also: Architecture in New York City
Famous towers
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. The building form most closely associated with New York City is the Skyscraper (a pioneering urban form first used in Chicago) that saw New York buildings The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Chicago Water Tower is a contributing property in the Old Chicago Water Tower District Landmark district Volunteer Park is a 483 acre (195000 m² Park in the Capitol Hill Neighborhood of Seattle, USA. Capitol Hill is the second most densely populated Neighborhood in Seattle Washington, United States, after Belltown (in northern downtown Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County California, United States. Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs, usually referred to as Animaniacs, is an American animated series, distributed by Warner Bros Yakko Wakko and Dot Warner, also known as "The Warner Brothers (and the Warner Sister", are three Cartoon characters featured on the Animated series )
- 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
- Union Water Sphere in Union Township, New Jersey
- Ypsilanti Water Tower- Winner of the Most Phallic Building contest
- Corn Cob Water Tower in Rochester, Minnesota
Famous water towers in the UK include:
Famous water towers in Slovenia include:
See also
References
- ^ "Wondering About Water Towers" by Debbie Elliott. Interstate 85 (I-85 is an Interstate highway in the southeastern United States. Gaffney is a city in and the County seat of Cherokee County, South Carolina, United States. The Earful Tower is the former icon of Disney's Hollywood Studios (then Disney-MGM Studios) and current icon of the Walt Disney Studios Park at the Disneyland Disney's Hollywood Studios is a Theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. The Florence Y'all Water Tower is a Water tower that stands between the Florence Mall and I-75 in Florence Kentucky. Florence is a city in Boone County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 23551 at the 2000 census. Union is a Township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. The Ypsilanti Water Tower is a historic Water tower in Ypsilanti Michigan, United States. The World's Most Phallic Building contest was a contest held in 2003 by Cabinet magazine to find the building which most resembled a Human Phallus. Rochester is a City in the US state of Minnesota and is the County seat of Olmsted County. Grimsby Dock Tower is a famous maritime landmark in North East Lincolnshire, England. Grimsby (or archaically Great Grimsby) is a Seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. The House in the Clouds is a Water tower at Thorpeness, Suffolk, UK Thorpeness is a village in the county of Suffolk, England. It is part of the parish of Aldringham cum Thorpe and is within the Suffolk Coast and Suffolk (ˈsʌfək is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. Jumbo Water Tower is a local name for the Water tower at the Balkerne Gate in Colchester, Essex, England, which was named after the elephant Colchester ( /ˈkəʊltʃɛstə/ is a town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester, in Essex, England. Essex is a county in the East of England. The County town is Chelmsford, and the highest point of the county is Chrishall Common Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija) is a Country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy to the west Brežice Water Tower was built in 1914 together with a city sewage system and electrification Brežice (German Rann) is city and municipality in Slovenia in Posavje, near the Croatian border Hyperboloid structures are Architectural structures designed with Hyperboloid Geometry. An American Water Landmark is a Landmark within the United States or Canada that is a historic location and is associated in any way with Water All Things Considered, 2 Dec 2006. All Things Considered (ATC is a news radio program in the United States broadcast on the National Public Radio network National Public Radio. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6567297 (includes pictures)
- ^ a b Charles, Jacoba. "Longtime Emblems of City Roofs, Still Going Strong", The New York Times, 2007-06-03. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering
External links
- Michigan Water Towers Group (photos) on Flickr
- Images of Hungarian water towers
- Images of Canadian water towers and standpipes
- HowStuffWorks.com on Water Towers
- Photographs of different kinds of water towers in Finland
- World's Largest Catsup Bottle Website
- International Watertower Archive
- German Watertower Archive
- Watertowers of Bucharest, Romania
- Bernd and Hilla Becher: Water Towers, ISBN 0-262-02277-X (photographic book)
- [1] Water Storage Considerations Specifically CFR Title 21 Part 129. Bernd and Hilla Becher were a German photographer team and a married couple best- known for their collection of industrial building images US Government document.
- American Steel and Iron Institute list of water towers
- World's Tallest Water Sphere - Fan site for the Union (NJ) Water Sphere
Gallery
 Water tower by V.Shukhov - the world's first hyperboloid structure, Russia, 1896 |  The local water tower at Grandview in Hampton, Virginia. Vladimir Grigoryevich Shukhov (Владимир Григорьевич Шухов ( - February 2 1939) was a Russian Engineer - Polymath Hyperboloid structures are Architectural structures designed with Hyperboloid Geometry. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Year 1896 ( MDCCCXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Hampton is an Independent city in Virginia, and therefore not part of any Virginia county |  Brick-built water tower in Kimberley, Nottinghamshire, UK. Kimberley is a Town in Nottinghamshire, England, lying 6 miles northwest of Nottingham along the A610 |  Water tower at Saint-Parize-Le-Chatel, France. |
 Unique water tower in the shape of a ketchup bottle, Collinsville, Illinois (This is also the world's largest ketchup bottle. Ketchup (also spelled catsup or catchup) also known as tomato ketchup, tomato sauce, red sauce, Tommy sauce, Collinsville is a city located mainly in Madison County, and partially in St ) |  Water tower - Gödöllő, Hungary |  Water Tower - Gyöngyös, Hungary | |
 1960s water tower shaped like a cone, Tonwell, Hertfordshire |  The Peachoid water tower in Gaffney, South Carolina, United States, built in 1981 |  The Kuwait Towers in Kuwait City, built in 1979 |  The old and new water towers in Nicollet, Minnesota |
_1.jpg/77px-Melbourne_Water_Tower_(Florida)_1.jpg) Water tower in Melbourne, Florida |  Water tower in Claxton, Georgia |  Water tower in Blaine, Minnesota |  A typical Midwestern water tower in Salina, Kansas |
 Auburn Tigers-themed tower in Auburn, Alabama |  Former Darwin RAAF control and water tower. Tonwell is a small village in Bengeo Rural parish Hertfordshire. Hertfordshire (ˈhɑːtfədʃə(r, abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of The Kuwait Towers are three towers of reinforced Concrete in Kuwait City. Nicollet is a city in Nicollet County, Minnesota, United States. Melbourne is a city in Brevard County Florida, United States. Claxton is a city in Evans County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2276 at the 2000 census Blaine is a city in Anoka and Ramsey counties in the US state of Minnesota. Salina (pronounced /səˈlaɪnə/) is a city in and the County seat of Saline County, Kansas, United States. Auburn Tigers is the name given to Auburn University athletic teams Auburn is a city in Lee County, Alabama, United States. It is the largest city in eastern Alabama with a 2007 population of 54348 Alabama (formally the State of Alabama;) is a State located in the southern region of the United States of America. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. RAAF Base Darwin is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF base located in the city of Darwin Northern Territory. |
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