We all know that water is essential for human life. And that means that in a city of more than 8 million people, you are going to need a lot of water. New York City installed water towers hundreds of years ago to support its large population. Today, there are more than 17,000 towers across the city, many of which play a critical role in the city’s iconic skyline.
Some New Yorkers and visitors might take these water towers for granted. After all, water towers, like many other components of the Big Apple’s truly colossal infrastructure, are something people don’t really need to think about on a regular basis. As long as the water is flowing, who really cares where it comes from?
Well, the history and development of New York’s water tower network is quite interesting. This truly impressive network is ultimately one of the key things making living in New York possible.
The Early Development of New York’s Water Tower Network
Native Americans known as the Lenape, originally populated New York City. They named the area Manhatta, loosely translated to mean “hilly island.” At the time, the Lenape survived on the city’s many rivers and streams. But during the 1600s, Dutch settlers dubbed the city “New Amsterdam” and moved to the area. As population density increased and agriculture and industry accelerated, the once clean waterways became unpotable.
Eventually, a group known as the Citizens Association of New York identified the need for infrastructural change. By the 1870s, the Department of Public Works formed and declared of their founding goals was to help create a clean water network. These developments also coincided with the increased spread of indoor plumbing systems.
Gradually, top-floor water storage tanks emerged across the city as it grew in population. These water tanks were typically kept on the top floors of buildings because, prior to the introduction of the water pump, there was not enough water pressure to reach the higher levels of the city’s ever-growing skyline. The tanks could also hold 10,000 gallons of water at a time.
Water Tanks: Unique to New York City
Contrary to the larger water tanks you might find elsewhere across the country, New York’s water tanks were—and still are—relatively small, abundant, and usually made of wood. The wooden tanks rely on gravity and electric pumping to effectively distribute water and continue refilling. The tanks last up to 40 years, then workers replace them.
The efficient development of the water tower network helped New York eventually become the most populated city in the world. Perhaps surprisingly, these tanks are built by only three different companies (all three of which are family-owned): American Pipe and Tank, Isseks Brothers, and Rosenwatch Tank Company.
Even in the current day, most of the tanks use wood as their main material. However, a wooden tank costs less than a quarter of what it costs to build a steel tank. Additionally, wooden tanks are easier to repair and replace as needed. And as the tanks become filled with water, they steadily expand outward, causing them to become even more watertight (this is the same sort of physics that is used to help build barrels).
Though New York is not the only place in the world to find these sorts of tanks, it is by far the city where they are the most common.
New York’s Water Tanks Today
For more than a century, New Yorkers have taken pride in the expansive, still increasing network of water tanks. Though other methods of distributing water have been introduced over time, you can still find roughly 17,000 tanks scattered throughout the city.
In 2014, an ambitious group of artists began the Water Tank Project. Within just a few years, many of these tanks were transformed into beautiful works of art. The founders of the Water Tank Project also had a mission: use this art to help spread awareness about the global water crisis. The crisis means that 5 million people die from dehydration every year.
The art project, undoubtedly, has had a resounding impact. It is impossible to look up at New York’s skyline and not think about the very important role that having access to water, particularly clean water, plays in our lives.
Some water tanks, both wood and steel, are now part of New York City’s real estate community. In fact, a large tank on top of a Greenwich Village building converted into a “fully functional rooftop cottage” and sold for about $3.5 million.
New York City, without a doubt, is a place that’s always evolving. But it is also a place that will always remain connected to its eclectic and revolutionary past. Next time you are taking a walk around Manhattan, take a moment to look up and appreciate the history.
Editor’s Note: We updated this article to enhance readability.
