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Water tank for Atascadero, San Miguel de Allende (C) Daniel Friedman Water Storage Towers
Types of water towers & above-ground water storage tanks

Water towers & tower-mounted water storage tanks:

Water towers are widely used not just to store water but to deliver water at good pressure to a community of buildings and users. This article describes tower-mounted water storage tanks, where they are used, how they work, and the use of booster pumps to improve water pressure in buildings with water storage tanks.

We include water tower design considerations, codes and standard references & citations. We also discuss using a booster pump to improve building water pressure in buildings with weak municipal water pressure or the storage of water where water supply is limited or water replenishment is only seasonally available. Shown at page top: a hilltop water tower supplying the community of Atascadero in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico.

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Large Water Storage Tanks on Towers or Free-standing Water Tanks at Ground Level

Sketch of open top water storage tank and well design used both on rooftops and in rural areas.

Elevated tower-supported water storage tanks are used both to store water and to provide water at pressure to individual buildings, building sites, or entire communities, as we illustrate in the photographs below.

At left is a sketch showing a traditional water storage tank on a tower connected to and located adjacent to a water well.

[Click to enlarge any image]

Below we illustrate water storage towers of several shapes and types and found in several locations and countries including in order: Brunswick Georgia (immediately below), U.S., The Taboada Hot Springs, Guanajuato, Mexico, and in the City of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Photos © Daniel Friedman.

Water storage tower, Brunswick, Georgia (C) Daniel Friedman

Below: a water tower at the Taboada Hot Springs, Guanajuato, Mexico,

Water storage tower, Taboada Hot Springs, Guanajuato, Mexico (C) Daniel Friedman

Design considerations for water storage tanks & their supporting towers

Large water storage tank at Gogorron, San Luis Potosi, Mexco (C) Daniel Friedman

Above is a large above-ground water storage tank at Gogorron in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. This is a low tower supported on two large stone piers. Higher water towers need to meet wind and other loading specifications.

Below we illustrate a horizontal cylindrical water storage tank at a damp in Dutchess County, New York in the U.S. This is an enclosed tank (there is not an overflow issue) fed by a pump from a local well at a camp.

Horizontal water storage tank, above ground, Dutchess County NY (C) Daniel Friedman

Below: a water tower in the City of Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires water storage tower (C) Daniel Friedman

Water Tower Construction Standards & References

Water tower at the San Miguel de Allende railroad station (C) Daniel Friedman

The water tower above, at the San Miguel de Allende railroad station, has been elevated to deliver water at functional pressure to the nearby community.

 

Reader Comments & Q&A

On 2018-04-27 - by (mod) -

Yes Bart

Here is a copy of FINISHED WATER STORAGE REGULATIONS for Massachusetts - a PDF file

https://inspectapedia.com/water/Finished-Water-Storage-Regulations-MA.pdf

retrieved 2018/04/27, original source: http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/dep/water/laws/a-thru-h/glchpt8.pdf

On 2018-04-25 by Bart Foley

In the town of Wilmington Ma an existing water reservoir is being replaced. The new location is 60 feet off the property line.
This puts the tower approximately 100" from my house, currently approximately 200".
My question is are there regulations on the placement of the tower relative to residential property/ homes.
Thank you

On 2018-02-02 - by (mod) -

Darrell

That's a perfectly reasonable engineering question that not even a licensed structural engineer would be happy trying to answer without more information including the nature of the supporting structure, the number of legs, and probably other measurements like diameter.

On 2018-02-02 by Darrell

I need to raise a 2500 gallon water tank 6 feet. What size timbers should I use for legs?

Question:

I have a gravity water tank roof top on my house-Water is pumped up by the city when working ok-When the water (municipal) is not working I use the roof tank,

Generally what I do is shut the valve off at the street, then open the valve on the rooftop tank and it gravity feeds down into house.

The tank is located rooftop has 1 line going into the top of the tank for the inlet of water into the tank, the other lines is at the bottom that the water go's into the house..

Where would the check valve be located at? Best place to install it?

Will it interfere with the pressure if the water is only gravity with no pump?

Thank you,

James C. 6/27/2014

Reply:

I'd put the check valve on the tank side of the shutoff controlling water coming from the street main. In that location the check valve will not be between the tank serving as the building water source and the fixtures and piping that the tank serves.


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Continue reading at ROOFTOP WATER TANKS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

CHECK VALVES, WATER SUPPLY, DRAINS, PUMPS

WATER TANK DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR - home

Suggested citation for this web page

WATER TOWERS at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.


Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to WATER SUPPLY, PUMPS TANKS WELLS & SPRINGS

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Citations & References

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