The Tower on Hill Street: Researching a Town Water Tower

Amara's Project: The Tower on Hill Street

1Every day on the bus, Amara passed the tall blue water tower on Hill Street. For her research project, she decided to find out more about it. She chose three parts of the topic to investigate: how a water tower works, why a town needs one, and how workers take care of it. Then she looked for a different source for each part.

2Source 1: a library book called Water on the Move. The book explained that a water tower holds a big tank of clean water high above the ground. Pipes run from the tank down under the streets and into homes. Gravity pulls the water down through the pipes, and that push is called water pressure. The higher the tank, the stronger the push. That is why many towers are built on hills or other high ground.

3Source 2: the town water department's website. A page called Our Water System said that pumps fill the tank, often at night, when most people are asleep and use less water. In the morning, when many families shower and cook at the same time, the tower helps keep the water flowing. The page also said that a full tower can keep water running for a while if the power goes out and the pumps stop. Firefighters count on that stored water, too.

4Source 3: an interview with Mr. Ortiz, who works for the water department. Mr. Ortiz told Amara that workers climb the tower to check it for leaks and rust. "Paint protects the steel, so we repaint the tank every so many years," he said. He explained that some towns send trained divers or small underwater cameras inside a tank to look at it up close. He also said his favorite part of the job is seeing the whole town from the top.

5At home, Amara spread her notes across the kitchen table. Each source had taught her about a different part of the topic. The book explained the science, the website explained how the town uses the tower, and Mr. Ortiz described the work of keeping it safe. Together, the three sources helped her understand why the tower on Hill Street matters to everyone in town. Now Amara was ready to plan her report.