Old Water Tower in Pembine, Wisconsin
May 12, 2007
Provided by: Peg Zenko
Summary authors & editors: Peg Zenko
This archive photo was taken near the railroad tracks of Pembine, WI, in 1908 and illustrates the enduring technology of the water tower. By today's standards this tower is diminutive, but it functions in basically the same way as does a modern tower. It elevates large amounts of water via pump to a tank with sufficient height for gravity to pressurize municipal and industrial supply systems. Municipal supplies generally run at 50 to 100 pounds per square inch (PSI) and hold approximately a day's water supply. The height of a given tower is calculated for maintaining pressure at the expected peak demand and is based on the number of units serviced by the tower.
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