A water tower is an elevated structure supporting a water tank constructed at a height sufficient to pressurize a distribution system for potable water, and to provide emergency storage for fire protection. Water towers often operate in conjunction with underground or surface service reservoirs, which store treated water close to where it will be used. Other types of water towers may only store raw (non-potable) water for fire protection or industrial purposes, and may not necessarily be connected to a public water supply.
The Metropolitan Water Board was a municipal body formed in 1903 to manage the water supply in London, UK. The members of the board were nominated by the local authorities within its area of supply. In 1904 it took over the water supply functions from the eight private water companies which had previously supplied water to residents of London. The board oversaw a significant expansion of London's water supply infrastructure, building several new reservoirs and water treatment works.
Mount Crosby pumping station is a heritage-listed pumping station and weir at Stumers Road, Mount Crosby, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is located on the Brisbane River and extends into Chuwar on the other side of the river. The facility supplies water to Brisbane and nearby cities and towns within the SEQ Water Grid. It was originally designed by Charles H McLay and built from 1891 to 1892. The historic parts of the facility were added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 25 October 2019. It is also listed on the Brisbane Heritage Register, together with numerous associated facilities which were not included in the state heritage listing.
The Bethlehem Waterworks, also known as the Old Waterworks or 1762 Waterworks, is believed to be the oldest pump-powered public water supply in what is now the United States. The pumphouse, which includes original and replica equipment, is located in the Colonial Industrial Quarter of downtown Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, between the Monocacy Creek and Main Street. It was declared a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1971, an American Water Landmark in 1971, and a National Historic Landmark in 1981. The building is a contributing property to the Historic Moravian Bethlehem District which was designated as a National Historic Landmark District in 2012 and later named to the U.S. Tentative List in 2016 for nomination to the World Heritage List.
Walka Water Works is a heritage-listed 19th-century pumping station at 55 Scobies Lane, Oakhampton Heights, City of Maitland, New South Wales, Australia. Originally built in 1887 to supply water to Newcastle and the lower Hunter Valley, it has since been restored and preserved and is part of Maitland City Council's Walka Recreation and Wildlife Reserve. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
Norton Water Tower is a water tower in Norton, Runcorn, Cheshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.
The Tai Tam Waterworks Heritage Trail is a heritage trail in Hong Kong that comprises 22 waterworks structures with historical value near the Tai Tam group of reservoirs. The Trail is about 5 km long and takes about two hours to complete. The Trail is located along the Tai Tam Reservoir Road with entrance at Wong Nai Chung Gap near Hong Kong Parkview or at the junction of Tai Tam Road and Tai Tam Reservoir Road. Ten information stations were established en route to introduce the functions and historic values of the structures. Guided tours will be organised for schools and non-profit making organisations.
The Birmingham Corporation Water Department was responsible for the supply of water to Birmingham, England, from 1876 to 1974. It was also known as Birmingham Corporation Waterworks Department.
The City of Nottingham Water Department (1912–1974), formerly the Nottingham Corporation Water Department (1880–1912), was responsible for the supply of water to Nottingham from 1880 to 1974. The first water supply company in the town was the Nottingham Waterworks Company, established in 1696, which took water from the River Leen, and later from springs at Scotholme, when the river became polluted. Other companies were set up in the late 18th century and in 1824, while in 1826 the Trent Water Company was established. They employed Thomas Hawksley as their engineer, who became one of the great water engineers of the period, and Nottingham had the first constant pressurised water supply system in the country. The various companies amalgamated in 1845, and Hawksley remained as the consulting engineer until 1879.
The Allen Hazen Water Tower, also known as the Municipal Water Tower, is a historic structure located on the west side of Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
The Spring Hill Reservoirs are two heritage-listed former underground water storage reservoirs within Wickham Park at 230 Wickham Terrace, Spring Hill, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. They are also known as Service Reservoirs. They were added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
Paddington Water Tower is a heritage-listed water tower at 16 Garfield Drive, Paddington, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board and built by day labour in 1927. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 23 June 2000.
Rand Water, previously known as the Rand Water Board, is a South African water utility that supplies potable water to the Gauteng province and other areas of the country and is the largest water utility in Africa. The water is drawn from numerous sources and is purified and supplied to industry, mining and local municipalities and is also involved in sanitation of waste water.
East Bundaberg Water Tower is a heritage-listed water tower at 17 Sussex Street, Bundaberg East, Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia. The tower is the only circular brick water-tower in Queensland and was designed by James Baillie Henderson and built from 1901 to 1902. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
Burdekin River Pumping Station is a heritage-listed pumping station at Weir Road, Breddan, Charters Towers Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built from c. 1887 to 1910s. It is also known as Charters Towers Water Supply Scheme. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 3 July 1995.
Drummoyne Reservoir is a heritage-listed decommissioned elevated service reservoir at Rawson Avenue, Drummoyne, City of Canada Bay, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by engineer J. G. S. Purvis from the Metropolitan Board of Water Supply and Sewerage and built from 1910 to 1913, with the Board responsible for the construction of the substructure and Poole & Steele Ltd responsible for the tank manufacture. It is also known as WS0038 and Drummoyne Elevated Steel Reservoir. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 15 November 2002. Sydney Water sold the property in September 2018 to owners of a chain of childcare centres, who plan to convert the site into a childcare centre while retaining most of the heritage structure.
The Wahroonga Reservoir is a heritage-listed reservoir located at 1678 Pacific Highway and Woonona Avenue in the Sydney suburb of Wahroonga in the Ku-ring-gai Council local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed and built by the Metropolitan Board of Water Supply and Sewerage in 1915. It is also known as Wahroonga Reservoir (Elevated) . The property is owned by Sydney Water, a State-owned statutory corporation of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 18 November 1999.
Cardiff Corporation Waterworks, its predecessors and successors have provided a public water supply and sewerage and sewage treatment services to the Welsh city of Cardiff since 1850.
Lincoln Corporation Waterworks and its predecessors and successors have provided a public water supply and sewerage and sewage treatment services to the city of Lincoln, England. The Romans are known to have built a conduit from the Roaring Meg stream to a water tower in East Bight. Further development took place in 1846, when the Lincoln Water Company was established, following a national outbreak of cholera in 1831-32. The main source of supply was formed by impounding Prial Drain to form Hartsholme Lake. The water was filtered by sand filters at Boultham, and was pumped to a service reservoir at Westgate. Lincoln Corporation wanted to gain control of their water supply, and bought out the water company in 1871. The enabling Act of Parliament also allowed them to construct a sewerage network, which fed a sewage farm at Canwick, but the Bracebridge area was not connected to the sewers, and waste water polluted local watercourses. There were sporadic outbreaks of typhoid and cholera, although the Corporation argued that these might not be linked to a polluted water supply.
The Tala tank, also spelled Tallah tank, is a water tower in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Construction started in 1909 and it was inaugurated in May 1911 by Edward Norman Baker, the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal. The tank, which is owned by Kolkata Municipal Corporation, is fed by Palta Water Works near Barrackpore. More than 110 years after construction, the tower remains the major water supplier to the city of Kolkata.
