The Tala tank, also spelled Tallah tank, is a water tower in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Construction started in 1909 and it was inaugurated in May 1911 by Edward Norman Baker, the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal. The tank, which is owned by Kolkata Municipal Corporation, is fed by Palta Water Works near Barrackpore. More than 110 years after construction, the tower remains the major water supplier to the city of Kolkata.
Tala water tank from the demolished Tala Bridge
Tala tank in August 1911, after inauguration
Steel columns supporting the tank
A water tower is an elevated structure supporting a water tank constructed at a height sufficient to pressurize a distribution system for potable water, and to provide emergency storage for fire protection. Water towers often operate in conjunction with underground or surface service reservoirs, which store treated water close to where it will be used. Other types of water towers may only store raw (non-potable) water for fire protection or industrial purposes, and may not necessarily be connected to a public water supply.
Water tower with cellular tower on top in Mauston, Wisconsin
Beaumont St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad Water Tank (1875, restored 2012), Beaumont, Kansas, US
Shooter's Hill water tower is a local landmark in London, United Kingdom. Water towers are common around London suburbs.
Ross Barnett Reservoir water tower in Mississippi, an example of an older design of water tower