Tower block with strip light windows and wall corner rooftop water tank below tall skyscrapers, Columbus Circle, New York City
Wooden water towers are a distinctive feature of the New York skyline. They have seen little change since the mid-19th Century, when it became law for their installation on the rooftops of buildings over 6-storeys high, in order to prevent excessively high water pressures bursting pipes. Water is pumped to the tanks and then gravity fed into the building for drinking fountains, bathrooms, kitchens and standpipes for fighting fires. When the water level falls, a float valve in sends a signal to a pump in the basement to recharge the tank. Each tank stores some 5000 to 10,000 gallons of water, the water in the bottom part of the tank being held back to fight fires. Fire insurance rates are lower in buildings with a water tank system. It is estimated that there are 10,000 to 15,000 water tanks on New York's rooftops. In modern buildings they are often enclosed within the structure.
Size: 2831px × 4256px
Location: Broadway, Columbus Circle Roundabout Intersection, Midtown Manhattan, New York City, USA
Photo credit: © robert harrison / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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