Water tower
A water tower is an elevated structure that stores water and uses gravity to maintain pressure in a distribution system.
Hydrostatic pressure: The pressure exerted by a fluid at rest because of gravity. The height of water above a tap determines the pressure a tower can provide.
Water storage tank: A container designed to hold water for later use. The elevated tank is the storage vessel at the heart of a water tower.
Municipal water supply: The public infrastructure that collects, treats, stores, and distributes water to a community. Water towers provide storage and pressure within many town and city supply systems.
Ground-level water tank: A water-storage tank positioned at or near ground level. It stores water but cannot provide tower-like pressure by elevation alone.
Chicago Water Tower: A limestone water tower completed in Chicago in 1869 and preserved as a historic landmark. It is an early surviving example of a water tower becoming a civic landmark.
Water distribution system: A network of pipes, pumps, storage, and controls that delivers water to users. The tower functions as one storage and pressure-control component in this network.
Elevated water tank: A water tank raised above ground on a supporting structure or embankment. This is the defining structural arrangement that lets gravity supply pressure.
Firefighting water supply: Water sources and infrastructure used to deliver water for extinguishing fires. Stored water can support high, sudden firefighting demand when ordinary use is low.
Hydropneumatic tank: A pressurized tank that uses compressed gas to regulate water pressure. It can maintain pressure without an elevated reservoir, but depends on pressure equipment.
Jeddah Water Tower: A landmark water tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, designed by architect Sami Angawi. Its architectural form gives an infrastructure structure a prominent urban identity.