And finally what are the structural properties of the water vessel. For the sake of completeness a brief history of water storage and distribution will be given. History of water distribution During the reign of the Jewish King, Solomon, extensive reservoirs or pools were designed and constructed to deliver pure water to the citizen of Jerusalem. The Romans under the various Caesars constructed aqueducts to transport water in to there cities. The Aztecs are also well known for there advanced hydraulic works.
Standpipes are still in use today.
The number one factor to be considered when deciding to build a ground based water tank or a tower is the elevation of the proposed water tower construction site and the elevation of the surrounding area to be serviced by the water tower. This is so because it is the potential energy imparted on the water by its elevation and tank pressurization that allows the water to be distributed to the outlying area. This potential energy is called the pressure head and the elevation head and has the units of feet or meters. If the water vessel is to be constructed in a region like Colorado or California than areas of high elevation may be utilized to serve the lower lying area and in this case one can simply build a ground based water vessel. On the other hand if you need a water vessel in a flat region like Lubbock, Texas, then you need to build a water tower to get the desired elevation head.