I had the idea of featuring water towers for my Weekend Snapshot since today is World Water Day. The first water tower was shot yesterday so it's my official weekend snapshot since all the others were shot a while back. As it turned out, I was driving home with Bill Saturday when I spotted the water tower below. Since I was at the wheel I said, hey Bill grab my camera and take a picture of the water tower please. He complied and did pretty well since he had to get the camera out of the case fast and figure out how to use my camera with zero notice.
The next water tower is one I photographed when we were at Atlantic Beach, NC back in June of 2008.
It's sobering to think about the fact that there are over a billion people in the world without clean, safe drinking water and that 2.6 billion people in the world lack adequate sanitation services. 
The water tower pictured above is less than a mile from my subdivision heading in one direction and there is another water tower less than a mile from me heading in another direction. Looking through my photographs of water towers brings home to me how fortunate I am. 
I posted a lot during 2007 and the first half of 2008 about the drought my area went through, but even at the worse point there was never a question about drinking water, or water to wash clothes. Basically the most we had to do was be more careful about wasting water which is what I've tried to continue with after the drought ended. The farmers were hurt by the drought in my area but the issues for me personally were minor (my landscaping losses during the drought aren't worth mentioning given the realities some people face). 
I took the two photographs directly above in early March when I was at the NC fairgrounds which is on the other side of town from where I live. I was on my way home from an appointment and stopped to take some pictures and looking in one direction I saw the blue water tower with Raleigh painted on it and in the other direction the larger white water tower. 
On the right hand side of the photo above is a white water tower at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC. The buildings in the photo are all part of the UNC Hospital complex. The buildings immediately to the left of the water tower are the new cancer hospital which is nearing the end of construction.
The water tower above is visible from the Durham, NC offices of the company I work for. Something I found interesting reading about some issues relating to water was that over 45 percent of the land surface of water is covered by river basins that are shared by more than one country. There is a lot of information on the World Water 2009 site about shared water. It is remarkable there aren't more water disputes than there are considering its scarcity, in some parts of the world.To find other weekend snapshots please visit the home of Weekend Snapshot.
13 comments:
You know I never gave water towers much thought...acutally they are not something you see at least when I was in the city...we have a small one down the road....disguised to fit in with the surrounding area....
the ones you hightlight are really one of architecture...the one at the end of you street remains me of a water drop.....I wonder what those who are designing the towers think of when they are invisioning the tower...
i grew up very close to a water tower in my home town. and slovenia is rich in water although the quality of water sources has deteriorated during the last few decades.
thank you for the reminder, though.
Water towers outside of Manhattan are plentiful, here in the city only the much older buildings have them and they are not as interesting... the ones you've snapped are really good examples
I live in one of the rainiest spots in the world. But from June through August it usually rains little, and we have strict bans on watering lawns, and washing cars. I've been to a village in Tanzania where the only water source is a deep filthy hole in a dry river bed. So like you, I never take water for granted. (Although I must admit to cursing the rain from time to time.)
V.
Water is precious!!! The facts delivered on World Water Day are impressive, there should be more awareness in using this element.
Enjoyed reading your post and seeing your water towers.
I'm not aware of World Water Day. Thank you for sharing all these interesting shots. It's a very informative post.
Water is very precious!
I hope we can leave behind plenty of water bodies for the coming generations.
Lol. Bill is a fast learner. :) Thanks for stopping by my WS.
way back in 2004 when I last visited NC and I surely miss the place!
btw, i was wondering if you are a UNC fan, and if you are watching MarchMadness, my husband is UNC fanatic bec he was originally from Fayetteville, my BIL lives in Clinton,he was stationed in Fort Bragg.
WeekendSnapshot
The shapes and sizes intrigue me, Carver. They are unusual. The second one makes me think of an aerial swimming pool!
We don't have so many of these in the north. I wonder why that is.
you quite have a number of these photos. looks like you collect it.
i hope this will continue to promote clean water awareness.
water towers... wouldnt that be a great coffee table book. I grew up in the midwest and there is one in every small town
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