There are approximately 15,000 water towers dotting New York City's rooftops. They are just as important today as they were 100 years ago. Not only do they provide daily water needs for those living in the buildings they serve, but the water they hold is also used to help extinguish fires when necessary.

In order to ensure that clean water can be accessed throughout all five boroughs, the City of New York began installing water towers, a water distribution strategy that dates back more than one hundred years. Today, there are more than 17,000 distributed across the city, many of which play a critical role in the city’s iconic skyline.

The exact number of water towers in New York City is difficult to determine due to various factors such as new installations, demolitions, and alterations. However, it is estimated that there are approximately 10,000 water towers spread throughout the city’s five boroughs.