Water Tanks: The Other Side of the NY Skyline
The city of New York is bustling, vibrant and beautiful. One of its most well-known features worldwide is its impressive skyline. Skyscrapers abound, rising impressively, especially the famous ones like the Empire State Building and Chrysler Building. These monuments are part of what gives New York its character. But there are more humble structures that are also a vital part of the skyline: Rooftop water tanks.
Functional as Well as Artistic
The many water tanks located on New York rooftops create a unique addition to the skyline silhouette. But they also serve a purpose. They naturally store fresh water for the buildings they sit on. The water fills them through the use of roof tank fill pumps NYC. It takes about 3-5 hours to fill a tank and it supplies the building with water through gravity. A single tank can hold 5,000-10,000 gallons of water. A sensor triggers the pump when the water falls below a certain level and the tank is refilled.
They Are Historic
New York’s use of water towers dates back more than 100 years. There are only three companies in the city that build them and they all have been around since the 19th Century. First settled by the Dutch, New York’s natural waterways provided the early residents with all the water they needed. As the city grew, so too did the demand for fresh water. The rise of industry polluted the rivers. In 1870, the Department of Public Works was founded. One of its duties was to improve drainage and the removal of sewage as well as provide water. Once indoor plumbing began to be installed, water tanks began to pop up and add to the growing skyline.
New York’s skyline is featured in many photographs and films. The next time you see it, look away from the skyscrapers for a moment and check out the water tanks.
