There are very few water towers in the Los Angeles area. Many water storage facilities (tanks and reservoirs) are in hills and mountains and use "natural" gravity to achieve water pressure (as opposed to building a tall tower to create water pressure).

However, movie studios operate like their own small cities with independent water supplies, power generators, fire department and police departments. Most major movie studios in town have water towers - like Paramount, Warner Bros., Sony (Columbia Pictures) and Disney. Some of the towers hold water for emergencies (like for fighting fires following an earthquake). Some are empty and are simply landmarks with the studio name and logo on them. They were all fully functional at some point in the past.

The Paramount Water Tower is lighted at night and is a very visible Hollywood landmark. For those without lot access, it can be viewed and photographed from the Melrose Gate entrance.