Most water towers are pretty simple machines. Clean, treated water is pumped up into the tower, where it’s stored in a large tank that might hold a million or so gallons—enough water to run that particular city for a day. When the area needs water, water pumps utilize the pull of gravity to provide high water pressure. Because they work with gravity, they have to be taller than the buildings they’re providing water to in order to reach the highest floors. Each additional foot of height in a water tower increases water pressure by .43 pounds per square inch.
Another important role for a city infrastructure is to keep water high off the ground plays. It allows regions to use smaller water pumps. In general, water demand for a city fluctuates throughout the day. Lots of people are taking showers before work and school, but fewer people are running a lot of water at 3 a.m. With no a water tower, the municipality would have to buy a water pump big and powerful enough to keep up with peak demand in the mornings, which would then largely go to waste during less busy parts of the day for water usage (plus incur extra costs). As an alternative, municipalities can acquire a pump just large enough to satisfy the region’s average water demand for the day, and let the power of the water tower take over during the times with demand that exceeds the pump’s capabilities. When water demand goes down at night, the pump can replace the water in the tower. Also, if the power goes out & the city’s water pumps fail, the water tower can keep water running smoothly for at least 24 hours.
However we have some coolest water designs to share with you:
- Peachoid, Gaffney, South Carolina – Located along Interstate 85, the Peachoid, also known by the locals as Mr. Peach,is 135 feet (45 meters) tall and can hold one million gallons of water. The tower became even more famous after it was the central plot point in an episode of House of Cards featuring Kevin Spacey.Â
- Brooks Catsup Bottle Water Tower, Collinsville, Illinois– This water tower was constructed in 1949, claimed to be the largest catsup bottle in the world, to supply water to the nearby Brooks catsup plant. The idea to design the water tower as a catsup bottle came from Gerhart S. Suppiger – the president of the company. After the plant closed in 1993, the structure was repaired and restored by volunteers.
- Corn water tower, Rochester, Minnesota – This huge water tower is located near the Seneca Foods factory in Rochester, Minnesota, and is obviously shaped like a corn.
- Leaning Tower of Niles, Niles, Illinois – Built in 1934, this amazing water tower was renovated in 1996. This is not the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but a copy half the size of the original. The replica is located in Pisa’s sister city – Niles, Illinois, and it is actually a water tower.
- House in the Clouds, Thorpeness, England – This water tower was built in 1923 to receive water pumped from Thorpeness Windmill. In 1979, when there was no longer a need for the water tower, the water tank was removed from the structure and the building became a home with 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. A structure that started as a water tower disguised as a house, ended up being a house.
- Old Lady, Szeged, Hungary – This beautiful water tower in the city of Szeged is known between the locals as the Old Lady.
- Kuwait City water towers, Kuwait City, Kuwait – This group of mushroom shaped water towers was built in 1979 and is located in Kuwait City, the capital city of Kuwait.Â
