'We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.'
To be honest, I never wondered where the tap water in the city comes from. Till my travel companion did…’Where does all that water come from? How do they feed all those people? How do they manage all the amenities the city needs?’
Had no clue. I knew ahow the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir aused to provide the city’s water. I had seen water towers thinking they were a great asset to my photographs. But never given the subject much thought.
With the city growing wider and higher the JKO Reservoir in Central Park quickly became too small. Water these days comes from upstate New York. Helped by gravity to travel. The speed it generates over it’s trip helps the water to go up naturally to the sixth floor. Only then it needs help from a pump. A pump and a water tower to store it.
17 000 water tanks are part of the iconic skyline. Overshadowed by their tall glassy neighbors you might not notice them at first. Still part of the city’s charm. The wooden barrels may look old to you, but they are still the most efficient. Keeping the water cool in summer and not frozen in winter. On top they are way cheaper than their steel counterparts.
Buildings with 6 stories and up need a water tank. Even the most luxurious buildings have wooden tanks. Like 15 Central Park West. You might not see them, but they are there hidden in the structure of the building. Sometimes they are on different levels so the water can be pumped up in smaller increments.
One World Trade Center even has 16 tanks!
Building skyscrapers has changed drastically over the years. But the water tank system remained the same.
What other iconic item do you want to explore next? Let me know in the comments!
Always in an Empire State of Mind,
xoxo,
B
PS: New York wouldn’t be New York if someone didn’t turn a daily item into art. Tom Fruin’s water tower is made out of 1000 pieces of plexiglas. All plexiglass was sourced locally. From Chinatowns sign shops, to Dennis Oppenheim’s studio.
This beautiful constructed piece of art is a tribute to the NYC Water tower and ‘a symbol of the vibrancy of Brooklyn’. Head over to Tom Fruin’s site to read more about it.
Tom’s water tower is located on 20 Jay Street, Brooklyn. In case you are curious have a look here to rent an office in the building.
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