For most, turning on the faucet for water, flushing the toilet or watering the lawn is such a natural, everyday activity that few think about the intricate series of pipes, motors, purifiers and systems that go into moving water from a source to a toothbrush. But underneath the feet and foundations of a town sits often hundreds of miles of pipeline—Round Rock has about 600 miles worth—and a system that regulates pressure to keep the water flowing.
But not all of the action takes place underground. In order to regulate and maintain pressure and water levels throughout a system, water towers are used to store treated water and manage flow. These massive concrete structures—which can cost abound $2 million each—are more than just advertising space for local schools and the city they provide water to; they're an integral piece of the system that keeps the water flowing.
1. One pipe typically controls both the intake and outtake from the storage area. Since storage tanks are used to regulate pressure and flow throughout a water system, pipes will direct water into the tanks when the system has lower demand, and thus extra water, and will open up to add water to the system at other times. By state law, water systems must maintain at least 35 pounds per square inch (PSI) of water pressure in their system at all times.
2. To ensure tanks do not become over-full, water tanks have an overflow pipe that will drain water from a storage tank and deposit it on the ground or in the surrounding area if a tank is too full.
