why
2007-03-26 14:13:12 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Engineering
The height of the water table defines the pressure the water exerts in the plumbing of a building. Thus no pumps needed
2007-03-26 14:59:06 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Water storage tanks do two things. The ones you see on a hill are basically there to smooth things out. Water use varies all through the day - for example, when everyone gets up in the AM, they all take showers, flush toilets, etc. Businesses turn water use on and off. So if the water company tried to match the flow by speeding pumps up & down all the time, it would get pretty wearing. Instead, they put a tank up high. As water use goes up & down, the tank fills and empties. The tower is high because that balances pressure (1 psi = 0.4 ft of water depth). So the pumps run more smoothly, filling the tank when use is low & adding to flow from the tank as the use goes down.
The smaller tanks, on towers, that you see at factories etc. are there to provide a backup water supply in the event of a fire. The height of the tank provides the pressure & volume is sized to supply some design flow for a certian amount of time. An alternative is to have a ground level tank that's pressurized with air or fed from a diesel engine fire pump.
2007-03-26 15:11:36 · answer #2 · answered by Doug B 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Water can travel from storage to where it is needed by gravity. Water in water towers puts pressure on the water in the rest of the pipes.
2007-03-26 14:17:29 · answer #3 · answered by ecolink 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Water tanks feed pumps. Pumps need net positive suction head to operate properly. This suction head can be achieved if the liquid level is higher than the pump.
2007-03-26 14:20:15 · answer #4 · answered by joss1925 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
That is how you get water pressure. Gravity!
2007-03-26 14:53:34 · answer #5 · answered by Bigdog 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋