How do water towers work - water tower function

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Because of their name it’s obvious that water towers store water. But, it is surprisingly that water towers also store energy.
After water is purified in a water treatment plant its distributed trough pipelines to private households and industries for immediate needs such as showers, dishwaters and sinks. However, the effluent water volume of the water treatment plant does not always equal the immediate demand of its consumers. Therefore, the unused water has to go somewhere and that’s why its stored in water towers.
Water towers typically fill up over night when most people sleep and the demand for water is low. Then especially in the morning when people get up for work the demand for water is very high so that water towers are emptied. Water towers are also important in case of power outages at a water treatment plant. If the pumps for water supply stop working water towers can supply the needed water for a short time.
Water towers have usually the form of a giant lollipop. When the water is pumped up into the tower it gains potential energy because gravity forces try to pull the water downwards. When the water in the tower is released the potential energy is converted into kinetic energy (energy in motion) which is expressed in the formula E = 1/2m*v2, Energy = the water mass multiplied with its velocity. The same principle applies if you a throw a baseball against a window. If the kinetic energy of the baseball is big enough the glass will break. The kinetic energy of the water tower is then used to operate for example a generator which produces electricity.
In the US are about 15,000 water towers in total. Their size depends on their location – smaller water towers are often dedicated to more rural towns or to certain public institutions such as schools, graveyards and others. Small water towers hold about 250,000 gallons of water whereas big water towers in metropolitan areas can hold up to 1,000,000 gallons of water! For comparison a standard pool holds between 20,000 and 30,000 gallons.
Finally, water towers have also an aesthetic value. So for example the Brooks Catsup Bottle Water Tower in Collinsville, Illinois or the many water towers on top of apartment buildings in New York which are part of the cities iconic look.

Видео How do water towers work - water tower function канала Karl-Uwe Schmitz