Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Vol. LXX, Dec. 1910 A Concrete Water Tower, Paper No. 1173

Set against the backdrop of a booming Victoria, the city’s water system faces a pivotal upgrade as the population swells beyond the capacity of its early‑century infrastructure. Engineers outline a sweeping remodel: expanding Elk Lake’s reservoir, enlarging main pipelines, installing a massive Corliss pumping engine, and adding a concrete‑lined distribution tank. This groundwork sets the stage for a single, striking solution to the city’s high‑level water needs.

At the heart of the project stands a novel concrete water tower, perched on the town’s highest hill and surrounded by elegant homes. The design replaces the usual steel lattice with a 109‑foot hollow concrete cylinder, detailed with pilasters, a belt course, and a decorative parapet, while a steel tank nests within its upper shaft. The paper walks listeners through the engineering choices, construction methods, and cost considerations that balanced functionality with the community’s aesthetic expectations.