Editing Water tower (section)

== History ==
{{See also|History of water supply and sanitation}}
[[File:Beaumont Kansas Water Tower.jpg|thumb|[[Beaumont St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad Water Tank]] (1875, restored 2012), [[Beaumont, Kansas]], US]]

Although the use of elevated water storage tanks has existed since ancient times in various forms, the modern use of water towers for pressurized public water systems developed during the mid-19th century, as steam-pumping became more common, and better [[Pipe (fluid conveyance)|pipes]] that could handle higher pressures were developed. In the United Kingdom, standpipes consisted of tall, exposed, N-shaped pipes,{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}} used for pressure relief and to provide a fixed elevation for steam-driven pumping engines which tended to produce a pulsing flow, while the pressurized water distribution system required constant pressure. Standpipes also provided a convenient fixed location to measure flow rates. Designers typically enclosed the riser pipes in decorative masonry or wooden structures. By the late 19th century, standpipes grew to include storage tanks to meet the ever-increasing demands of growing cities.<ref name="mwra.com"/>

Many early water towers are now considered historically significant and have been included in various [[List of heritage registers|heritage listings]] around the world. Some are converted to apartments or exclusive [[penthouse apartment|penthouse]]s.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.flavorwire.com/319722/10-industrial-water-towers-converted-into-awesome-modern-homes|title=10 Industrial Water Towers Converted into Awesome, Modern Homes|date=17 August 2012|access-date=14 March 2018}}</ref> In certain areas, such as [[New York City]] in the United States, smaller water towers are constructed for individual buildings. In [[California]] and some other states, domestic water towers enclosed by siding ([[tankhouse]]s) were once built (1850s–1930s) to supply individual homes; [[Wind mill|windmills]] pumped water from hand-dug wells up into the tank in New York.

Water towers were used to supply [[water stop]]s for [[steam locomotives]] on railroad lines.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://scrca.foscl.org.uk/importance-water-steam-operated-railways|title=The importance of water on steam-operated railways |access-date=22 December 2023}}</ref> Early steam locomotives required water stops every {{convert|7|to|10|mi}}.