Water tower

, Finland was built in the 1970s. It is 52 metres high and can hold around 12,000 m³ of water.

The height of the tower provides the hydrostatic pressure for the water supply system, and it may be supplemented with a pump. The volume of the reservoir and diameter of the piping provide sustain and flow rate. However, relying on a pump to provide pressure is expensive; the pump would have to provide a constantly varying output pressure (and thus need an expensive control system), and it would have to be sized sufficiently to give the same pressure at high flow rates. Very high flow rates have been recorded during program breaks during the television broadcast of large sporting events or popular shows.

However, in many countries water towers are taken ot of the water supply system and replaced by pumps only. 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. Some are converted to apartments or exclusive penthousess.

towers can be surrounded by ornate coverings including fancy brickwork, a large ivy-covered trellis, etc., or it can be simply painted. Some city water towers have the name of the city painted in large letters on the roof, as a navigational aid to (early) aviators.

Famous water towers in the USA include:

see also

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