water tower

American  

noun

1. a vertical pipe or tower into which water is pumped to a height sufficient to maintain a desired pressure for firefighting, distribution to customers, etc.

2. a fire-extinguishing apparatus for throwing a stream of water on the upper parts of a tall burning building.

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water tower British  

noun

1. a reservoir or storage tank mounted on a tower-like structure at the summit of an area of high ground in a place where the water pressure would otherwise be inadequate for distribution at a uniform pressure

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Etymology

Origin of water tower

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

“We did everything right,” said St. Clair Mayor Bill Cedar, who was part of an effort to woo Magna with tax breaks and the construction of a new water tower to supply the facility.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

The town of 2,000 also features a full Pusser museum, the Buford Pusser fairgrounds, a water tower with Buford’s image on it, and the Buford Pusser Highway.

From Slate • Nov. 6, 2025

If you’re traveling on I-65 north of Montgomery, you can’t miss it: Exit 212, where a 120-foot-tall, peach-topped water tower — realistically painted and impossible to ignore — beckons you into peach paradise.

From Salon • Jul. 9, 2025

One victim was recently traced in Glasgow after a detective recognised a water tower in the background of a selfie.

From BBC • May 30, 2025

I’d told them all about the Manchurian Fire Thrower, the untimely demise of Junior Haskell, the explosion at the water tower, and the unfortunate dousing of the victory quilt.

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool