Lombard residents are getting an unusual look at a major infrastructure project: the inside of the new water tower taking shape near Yorktown Center.

New aerial photographs capture the enormous steel tank while it is still open at the top, revealing a view that will disappear once construction is complete.

The 1.5-million-gallon elevated water tower is being built along Butterfield Road to strengthen water service in southern Lombard.

From above, the structure resembles a giant metal bowl, with curved steel panels, support equipment and an impressive central column visible inside.

Construction crews can be seen working along the rim and positioning the upper sections, high above the surrounding streets and buildings.

The bird’s-eye perspective also shows just how large the tank is compared with the nearby parking structures and commercial buildings.

Once filled and in service, the tower will help maintain reliable water pressure and provide additional stored water for community needs, including emergencies.

The project involves Boller Construction, CB&I and engineering firm Baxter & Woodman.

In April 2025, the Village of Lombard approved a design-build agreement for the South Lombard Elevated Storage Tank project.

The photographs make a normally hidden part of local infrastructure surprisingly easy to understand: a water tower is far more than the slim support column visible from the road.

Its broad upper tank is designed to store an enormous quantity of water at an elevated height, allowing gravity to support pressure throughout the distribution system.

Current project information anticipates construction wrapping up in fall 2027, with the tower expected to become operational in early 2028.

Those dates remain projections and could change as work continues.

Until the tank is enclosed, these aerial images provide a rare glimpse inside a landmark in the making.

For anyone who has driven past Yorktown and wondered what the towering construction project looks like from the inside, these photographs offer the answer.

Have you ever seen the inside of a water tower before?