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Learn About WATER TOWERS!

"I have always been interested in water towers and have always wondered, do those big ball-like tops really hold water or not?” This was the question that arrived last month, from Gail in Andover, Minnesota. This month, we decided to dig up some Internet sites to tell us more about these roadside wonders.

What do Water Towers do? At http://people.howstuffworks.com/water.htm and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20y36OVGaxo (below), you learn that water towers, or water spheres, perform a simple job -- to store a supply of fresh, crystal clear water over your head so it is ready whenever you need it. The higher the water, the better the water pressure.
Where is the tallest water tower in the USA? Taller towers mean better water pressure. You can find really tall water towers in Union, NJ, and Edmund, OK; both claiming to have the tallest water tower. Decide for yourself by visiting http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM6E5 or http://www.worldstallestwatersphere.com/.
Has anyone ever lived in a water tower? Yes! Some creative people have purchased older water towers and converted them into homes. Here’s one you can rent for a vacation, at just $4000 a week: http://www.sbwatertower.com.
True or False: Every building in New York City that is more than six stories tall has a water tower on its roof. True. Starting in the 1800s, New York City required that all buildings higher than six stories be equipped with a rooftop water tower. As a result, giant storage tanks are a common sight in Manhattan. See: http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/2009/0106/new-york-s-other-skyline-water-towers.
Can you swim inside a water tower? Only if you’re a certified water tower cleaner. That’s because the water you’d be swimming in needs to be perfectly clean and drinkable. Therefore, you’d need to wear a special suit, and go through a special chlorine bath first. Here’s a video showing a diver inspecting and cleaning the inside of a water tower. http://current.com/items/89140441/divers_clean_city_water_tower_company_profile_6_5_min.htm.
Do water towers ever fall down? There’s an old saying ... what goes up, must come down. We found a video of an old water tower (or sphere) being cut down, just like a tree. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JQC6sKo0UA
Show me some crazy-looking water towers. Water towers come in all shapes and sizes. At http://www.ohiobarns.com/othersites/watertowers/wt.html and at http://www.flickr.com/groups/water_towers_world/pool/ you can find a variety of shapes and sizes of water towers. Some are even made of stone, such as the famous Ypsilanti, MI, and Chicago, IL, water towers.

Hey Teachers! This column is available as an 8 1/2 x 11-inch handout, in PDF form.