Herald's Sky View: 1 million gallons on Waukegan Road

Water towers are among the tallest structures in many Midwestern communities, and I've always found them fascinating because of both their visibility and that gravity provides reliable hydrostatic pressure to the pipes below.

The 150-foot, 1 million-gallon capacity "water tank," as it is referred to in information provided by the Village of Glenview, is south of downtown at 624 Waukegan Road and was built in 1954-55.

This week's aerial photo shows the water tank prominently in the foreground, even though the drone was kept at least 50 feet away during the flight. Views from a greater distances and higher altitudes showed more of the surrounding area but didn't quite capture the size of the massive structure.

A Chicago-bound Metra train passes in the left of the frame, while downtown Glenview and surrounding neighborhoods can be seen in the distance. Avidor Glenview, a development of one- and two-bedroom apartments targeted to adults 55 and older, is to the right of the water tank.

Curiously, the village's name does not appear on the water tank, and it looks somewhat "plain vanilla" painted white without any lettering. This is perhaps due to tradition.

When built, the water tank did not display the village's name, and subsequent improvements and re-paintings have omitted any lettering, according to the village.