Video 2 C1: Water Towers

Question 1

what is water tower also known as?

Answer 1

elevated storage tank

Question 2

what are some disadvantages of open channels?

Answer 2

• water is exposed to pollution/contamination
• channels bisect the land
• water can only flow to areas of lower elevation (huge con, especially if you’re trying to deliver water to somewhere at the top of hill)

Question 3

what is an advantage of closed channels?

Answer 3

allows us to take advantage of pressure to move fluids where we want them to go

Question 4

whats the benefit of water towers?

Answer 4

it stores water/energy to reduce the work for all other upstream infrastructure i.e. for when pumps can’t handle the demands of the city on their own.
- therefore it allows for pumps to be sized for average demands, saving costs/complexity (instead of being sized for peak demands)
- good for power outages as well

Question 5

instead of relying on the cities storage tanks, what do skyscrapers normally do for adequate water pressures?

Answer 5

have their own pumps/elevated tanks