happiness
Water Storage & Rain Barrels Part 2
Now let’s move on to the larger containers for storage…
Water Storage Towers
You do have the option of connecting together several of the above water barrels to add additional storage, however that may not provide enough water for animals, gardens, greenhouses, & other household uses.
Please remember that this type of storage container can vary GREATLY in size depending on your needs, from small garden towers to those needed for towns.
Here we will cover the smaller versions.
First we should talk a little about how water towers work so the basics & directions make sense.
Essentially, rain water is captured in a storage tank located at the top of the tower and released through standard valves and faucets at the other end of the pipe system connected to the storage tank.
The purpose of a water tower is to provide running water with the pressure resulting from the gravity as water falls through pipes from the high tower.
A big reason for the level of reliability in water pressure is the water tower.
Tower, Tank and Pump

A water tower is an incredibly simple device. Although water towers come in all shapes and sizes, they all do the same thing: A water tower is simply a large, elevated tank of water. For example, take the water tower shown above. This tower is located in Kill Devils Hill, near Kitty Hawk, NC. It is about 165 feet (50 meters) tall.
Water towers are tall to provide pressure. Each foot of height provides 0.43 PSI (pounds per square Inch) of pressure. A typical municipal water supply runs at between 50 and 100 PSI (major appliances require at least 20 to 30 PSI). The water tower must be tall enough to supply that level of pressure to all of the houses and businesses in the area of the tower. So water towers are typically located on high ground, and they are tall enough to provide the necessary pressure. In hilly regions, a tower can sometimes be replaced by a simple tank located on the highest hill in the area.
A water tower’s tank is normally quite large. A normal in-ground swimming pool in someone’s backyard might hold something like 20,000 or 30,000 gallons (that’s a lot of water!), and a typical water tower might hold 50 times that amount!
Typically, a water tower’s tank is sized to hold about a day’s worth of water for the community served by the tower. If the pumps fail (for example, during a power failure), the water tower holds enough water to keep things flowing for about a day.
One of the big advantages of a water tower is that it lets a municipality size its pumps for average rather than peak demand. That can save a community a lot of money.
Say that the water consumption for a pumping station averages 500 gallons of water per minute (or 720,000 gallons over the course of a day). There will be times during the day when water consumption is much greater than 500 gallons per minute. For example, in the morning, lots of people wake up at about the same time (say 7:00 a.m.) to go to work. They go to the bathroom, take a shower, brush their teeth, etc. Water demand might peak at 2,000 gallons per minute at 7 a.m. — there is a big cost difference between a 500-gallon-per-minute pump and a 2,000-gallon-per-minute pump.
Because of the water tower, the municipality can purchase a 500-gallon-per-minute pump and let the water tower handle the peak demand. At night, when demand normally falls to practically zero, the pump can make up the difference and refill the water tower.


In most towns, the water people drink comes from either a well, a river or a reservoir (normally a local lake). The water is treated in a water treatment plant to remove sediment (by filtration and/or settling) and bacteria (typically with ozone, ultraviolet light and chlorine). The output from the water treatment plant is clear, germ-free water. A high-lift pump pressurizes the water and sends it to the water system’s primary feeder pipes. The water tower is attached to the primary feeders quite simply, as shown in this diagram:
If the pump is producing more water than the water system needs, the excess flows automatically into the tank. If the community is demanding more water than the pump can supply, then water flows out of the tank to meet the need.
Form and Function
Water towers come in all shapes and sizes. Take, for example, this giant peach along I-85 in Gaffney, South Carolina.

This water tower comes complete with leaf, stem and that funny crease that peaches have.
Water towers on top of buildings are a common feature in many cities.
In a city, tall buildings often need to solve their own water pressure problems. Because the buildings are so tall, they often exceed the height that the city’s water pressure can handle. So a tall building will have its own pumps and its own water towers. In the following picture, taken from the Empire State Building in New York City, there are at least 30 small water towers visible on the tops of these buildings.
Another interesting fact about water towers —
they can affect your insurance rates!
During a fire, the water demand increases significantly and may greatly exceed the capacity of the pumps at the water plant. A water tower guarantees that there will be enough pressure to keep water flowing through the fire hydrants. Fire insurance rates are normally lower in a community in which the water system has water towers.
The next time you are out driving around, especially if you are driving through a series of small towns, take the time to notice the water towers. Now that you know how they work, you will be amazed by how many you see and by all the different forms they take!
How do you design & build a tower?
Here is a sample of simple directions for a model (used for demonstration)
Get plumbing parts from (Home depot)
- a short section of 4 inch plastic pipe with a glued on top
- and then at the bottom glue a plastic pipe piece called a reduction which went from the 4 inch to 1 1/2 inch plastic.
- Then glue in a 1 1/2 inch plastic valve
- finished it with a short piece of 1 1/2 inch plastic pipe to make the downwards piece.
- Turn it upside down fill it
- close the valve
- then turn it right side up
- when you open the valve all the water rushes out pretty quickly.
Find the plumbing guy and tell him what you want to do and you can get all the pieces in 1 trip.
You can Custom Design Your Own Tower Here
http://www.water-towers.com/wtrscustomplans2.html
They will prepare a preliminary design for you to review along with a quote for your tower design.
HERE is a link for more varieties of pre-designed plans &/or Towers for Sale.
OR you can make your own
There are several ways to build water towers….
Each construction method must emphasize pressure and height in order to provide an even water pressure for a municipality or a building. As long as these basic requirements are met, a high degree of creativity can go into building the exterior of the water tower.
Below are some basics for a tower big enough for a community office building or house.
Materials and Design
To construct a water tower, you may use a variety of materials, as long as the intrinsic design of the tower is structurally stable.
Steel and concrete will provide both stability and endurance through weather conditions. Whatever materials are used, the reserve tank of the water tower should be fully supported by columns and be at the very top of the structure.
In some cases, water towers can double as living spaces or office complexes. The basic construction remains the same, in that the water tank itself is suspended high enough in the air to generate sufficient psi for the community, but the underlying support columns can be sealed off, and other usable spaces can be created.
The simplest water tower design is for a single residential building. You may place the water reserve tank on top of the pre-existing building and utilize the structure of the building as the support.
Exterior Design
When constructing a water tower, build the exterior to best reflect the character of the people who use it.
Because water towers often act as landmarks for small towns, the exterior design can be a way to express the character of the town. While many towns opt to label their water towers with the town’s name, some municipalities go further and choose a more creative exterior.
As long as the basic structural components of the water tower are met, the exterior of the tower may be designed to resemble fruits, sporting balls or any other objects that have the same general shape as the reserve tank. Creativity, budget concerns and taste all play a role in the ultimate design of the exterior.
In Great Britain, a water tower was concealed with a house built around it to prevent the actual tower from disrupting the scenic view of the community in which it sat. Today, this house in clouds continues to stand.
Below are a few videos from Wranglerstar that may help..
How to Build a 500 gal Water Tower
There are alot of helpful videos down the right side of these videos on youtube, so please be sure to check them out as well.
Now we will do at least one that’s a little simpler
Water Barrel Towers
Jodie & Julie from Food Storage Made Easy really have made this an easy process!
Below is an article & video they have explaining how they did it AND some information on how you can get some discounts!
Storing 55 gallon barrels comes with Pros and Cons:
Pros
– Great solution for storing LOTS of water
– Available in multiple sizes from 30 gallons up to 250 gallons
– With additives, can extend rotation needs to every 5 years
Cons
– Slightly difficult to fill and rotate
– Not very accessible when you have to actually USE the water
– Not an ideal solution in small homes/storage areas and shouldn’t be stored outside
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WATER BARREL TOWER A couple of months ago, we were contacted by Trigen Manufacturing and we got some of their water barrel towers. Their water barrel towers solve the typical cons to the regular way of storing 55 gallon barrels. Rotating and filing the barrels is a breeze compared to when they are upright. Not only is rotation easier, it is a space saver too!Both of us got one of their 3 barrel towers. Jodi’s husband built her tower and they took a video of it in case you are wanting to know how to build the actual shelf. The shelf comes with instructions, and the shelf is pretty basic so it’s not too difficult: |
Putting the Tower together:
Darin from Trigen was kind enough to come over and help Julie get the barrels plumbed and ready for filling. This video shows you the tower fully built with the water barrels on it, and how to assemble the plumbing kit:
Check out the post on the barrels they did a few months ago when they were introduced and learn more about discounts available for Food Storage Made Easy readers!
To order call: 801-997-0575. Make sure you mention Food Storage Made Easy when you order to get the following discounts:
- $20 off the Triple Barrel Tower with Upgraded Plumbing kit
- $10 off Triple Barrel Tower with Basic Plumbing Kit
- $10 off the Double Barrel Tower with Upgraded Plumbing kit
- $10 off the Double Barrel Tower with Basic Plumbing kit
Visit Trigen Manufacturing for pricing and full list of contents. To get the discount, make a phone order and mention Food Storage Made Easy.
Pick up your barrels here:
Here is a video with FULL Tutorial on Rain Water Barrel Setup
Once again there are several links along the right side of the Youtube page that will give you ideas & instructions, so Please check them out as well.
Other Articles of Intrest associated with this topic that you will need:
- A Medium Sized Rain Water Collection System
- How to Clean a Water Storage Tank
- How to Buy Large Water Storage Tanks
- How to Clean a Portable Water Storage Tank
- How to Prepare for Emergency Water Storage
- How to Size Hot Water Storage Tanks
- How to Build a Water Storage Tank
- How to Treat Water Storage Tank Water
- How to Clean Water From Large Storage Tanks
- How to Build Wooden Above Ground Water Storage Tanks
- How to Treat Water for Storage
- Why don’t water towers freeze solid in the winter?
- Water Pressure and Flow Rate
- Water-Towers.com: Water Tower Information
- Unique Water Towers
- TreeHugger: Water Cycle
Canning tips you may not see in the manual
Canning tips you may not see in the manual
with assistance from Lindsay Seaman
Lindsay has been canning & preserving food for over 25 years, so the tips she gained through trial & error
are very helpful to avoid some of the same pitfalls.
Lindsay Seaman is a staff writer for Eartheasy.
Extending your harvest throughout the winter can be a daunting & confusing task, but canning is an efficient way to preserve summer’s bounty.
Basic Information:
There are two basic types of canners, and knowing which one to use can save you frustration & loss:
- ‘water bath’ for high acid foods like jams, fruit and tomatoes,
- ‘pressure canners’ for low acid foods like most vegetables, meat and fish.
Canning is a precision process with emphasis on sterilization and cleanliness.
You will want to have a recently published home canning book, some good ones being from Ball, Kerr (well known sources of canning supplies), and the US Department of Agriculture. Your pressure canner will also come with a reliable manual.
Be sure to read all instructions before starting.
Even though you follow the instructions carefully, you can still make mistakes.
The following tips may help, and they apply to both water bath and pressure canning.
Tips from Lindsay
-
Be organized
Lay out all the equipment and ingredients before starting food preparation.
-
Try using the dishwasher to preheat your jars
Canning jars must be clean and hot before filling. You can pour hot water into the jars to preheat them, but it is convenient to time your dishwasher load so the hot jars are ready when you need them. Preheating the jars prevents them from breaking when filled with hot foods and hot additives like syrup.
-
Avoid placing hot jars on cold surfaces
When removing processed jars, place on tea towels or layered newspapers. I like the newspapers because it easier to clean up the mess afterwards. Never put freshly processed jars on a cold surface, or they may break.
-
Don’t ‘clunk’ the jars
Make sure not to ‘clunk’ or tap hot jars together when removing them from the canner because hot glass breaks easily. As a general rule, be gentle with the jars throughout the process.
-
Avoid drafts when removing jars
Canning is a hot business and the temptation is to open all the windows. This is fine until you take the jars out of the canner. Then, you should consider closing nearby windows and doors because a cool draft can break a hot glass jar.
-
Use a footstool if necessary when removing jars from canner
Ideally, the bottom of a pressure canner should be about waist height. This is so you can see inside and have good control when lifting the jars out of the canner. If you are short, you may want to use a footstool for easier and safer jar removal.
-
Let it be
Once you’ve set the glass jars on the counter, avoid moving them, as this may interrupt the sealing process. Be patient, as the lids may take a long time to seal. A sealed jar usually has a visible indentation of the lid.
-
Store it cool, dry and dark
Store processed jars in a cool (50 – 70 degrees F), dry and shady place for best results. In our home, we store jars under the kids’ beds and other indoor locations that won’t freeze.
-
Consider using a magnetic lid lifter
The jar lids must be preheated in hot water before using. They can be tricky to lift out to set on the jars. Tongs will work, but magnetic lid lifters (wands) will make it easier.
-
Label everything meticulously
Use a permanent marker to label lids with the month, day and year. This helps you keep track of different batches, rotate your stock and identify batches for comparison purposes.
Success breeds success. By following these tips and recording your own, you will feel encouraged to pursue the art of home canning in future seasons, and make home food preservation part of your family culture.
TIPS from Others:
- Kathy
- If the kitchen is drafty or you have a window open you can still take jars out of the canner–just slip them under a bath towel as quickly as possible.
- Don’t store sealed jars with the bands on them as the bands trap moisture and may become stuck or moldy.
- After jars have completely cooled and sealed, give them a bath in warm soapy water to remove any residue from stuff that may have leaked into the canner water. This prevents sticky moldy jars in the pantry.
- After you empty your jars, wash them and store upside-down in the boxes to keep them clean until next season's canning. You will still have to wash them before canning, but at least they will be free of dead bugs from your basement 🙂
- Diane
Here’s another tip to check if the jars are sealed.
-
After they’ve cooled (give them a day) take a pen or pencil and tap the center of each lid. You’ll notice the difference in sound as you tap.Sealed jars make a ping like note. Unsealed jars make a plunk. So you’ll hear a ping, ping, ping, plunk. The plunk is the one not sealed.
Q&A:
- Ruby
Hi I was wondering if anyone has tried canning homemade tomato soup with noodles in it.
I make a hamburger, macaroni, and tomato soup that I would love to can.
I’m not sure if I would use my pressure canner of hot water canner. Any advice.
- Greg Seaman
- You should use the pressure canner if you will be including meat in the soup.
- Also, it is common to add a bit of lemon juice when canning tomatoes, about 1 tablespoon per pint. You can add it bit of sugar to offset the citrus as an option.
- You should consult a good reference (the USDA is an excellent reference for canning) because different foods have different storage characteristics.
The quality can go down over several years, but we find that the canned foods rarely spoil.
34 Medical Studies Proving Cannabis Cures Cancer | TruthTheory
34 Medical Studies Proving Cannabis Cures Cancer | TruthTheory.
34 studies showing that marijuana cures cancer, categorized by the type of cancers being cured in each study.
As you sort through the articles, note that the consistent theme between them is that cannabis shrinks tumors and selectively targets cancer cells.
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