Why Does (Almost) Every Town in Texas Have A Water Tower?
They are the stuff of legend.
How many movies about life in America have a scene either near or on top of the town's water tower? No matter how small a city it is, it seems they have at least one water tower. San Angelo has five, but only three of them are elevated.
Here in West Texas and in areas with flat ground, water towers are essential. They use the pull of gravity to keep the pressure high enough for water to flow through the pipes. They are usually located in the highest water consumption areas of town or in close proximity to the municipal pumping station.
Michael Stephenson via YouTube
The water tower also stores water for times of peak usage or for emergency situations. If the pumping stations in a town fail, the water towers can keep water flowing until service is restored.
While it seems that every town in West Texas has a water tower, not all cities have them. In areas where there is high ground or hills, they can use gravity alone to move water through their systems.
Personally, I think cities with no water towers are missing out. They boldly proclaim the name of the town for people coming in from all directions. Often graffiti from a brave member of a local graduating class or someone in love is affixed. Water towers represent the towns where they silently do their work.
Michael Stephenson via YouTube
The industry name for the water tower, according to Texas Monthly is "elevated tank" The majority of tanks in Texas are constructed by Chicago Bridge and Iron. They roll the steel for towers at their factory in Houston, and they have a team that installs and paints them.
West Texas water towers have to survive a lot. Sometimes, high winds splatter the paint. The average water tower lasts 50 years.
If you want to see Texas water tower photos, there are lots of places to look online. Here is one: Texas Water Tower Photos
