Date:
July 3rd, 2008
From:
A Curious Party
Question:
What exactly is the purpose of a water tower and how does it work?
Goofball Answer:
Though far from exciting, the exact purpose of a water tower, Curious Party, is this: to store and pressurize potable water for delivery to nearby homes, coffee shops, prisons, car washes, fire hydrants, and whatnot.
Water towers are built or placed so they are higher than the surrounding structures they serve. The water tower is filled with potable water as needed to keep the tower filled. After that, gravity pulls the water toward the ground, which pressurizes the water pipes leading throughout the community.
Now you may ask, "How do skyscrapers get water? They're taller than the nearby water towers." Well, they simply build smaller water towers on top of the skyscrapers to serve the higher floors. Water is pumped into the rooftop water towers, and gravity pressurizes the water for the upper reaches of the building.
So the next time you're taking a shower, don't forget to thank gravity...
~ topher