Blue Margaritas

When I first moved to Missouri, a friend invited me over to his house and the directions given to me included the phrase "turn left just past the blue margarita".

Huh? What the heck was the blue margarita? A bar? Restaurant? Nope. It was a water tower! Ever since that day, I've never looked at water towers the same. They've all been blue margaritas to me (except the one that looks like a circus near Worlds of Fun).

Coming from a state that did not have the same looking above-ground water towers, I wondered a) why there were so many in our region and b) how exactly do those suckers work?

So, for those people wondering the same thing... this one's for you. Apparently, water towers continually "suck up" and store water for times when "extra" distribution may be necessary. These towers always suck up the same amount of water all year long. They help increase water pressure and ensure that we will always have water when we turn on the faucet. In the winter, obviously, the towers become more full than in the summer, when they are almost always running on low simply because we consume more water in the hotter months watering our lawns and gardens, washing our cars, etc;

In larger cities, in big buildings, contractors are required to install water reservoirs underneath or within the building itself (mostly just to save space). Some states have large round reservoirs that appear to be on the ground itself. Ours just happen to be flying high in the sky. Our water towers that are above-ground are more cost-effective to install and are highly popular in rural areas because they can sustain smaller populations. You will rarely, if ever, see water towers like ours in major cities (New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix) for two reasons: a) they only produce a relatively small output, and b) they are considered an eyesore. One rural town found itself installing a blue margarita nearly every mile as the town grew and grew. The residents began complaining that the city needed to upgrade it's water system; however, to date, nothing has changed. At least those people have water to take their daily shower.

I feel a sense of relief after traveling when seeing the blue margarita near my house. Although it is in dire need of a paint job, it still reminds me that I am almost home.