Fact Brief: Does the Campbell water tower have multicolored lighting effects?

Yes.

The iconic Campbell water tower can be lit up in different colors at night. In 2016, Campbell replaced the tower’s fluorescent lights with LED fixtures capable of 150 color combinations. The colors are used to mark special occasions, such as holidays or special awareness months. In October, former Campbell Mayor Sergio Lopez requested the landmark be colored pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The water tower was originally built by the Campbell Water Company, the city’s first utility. The tower — as its known today — was erected in 1928 after a series of disasters damaged previous water facilities in the area. At one point the water tower was capable of holding 75,000 gallons of water for residents and the surrounding farmland, but now sits empty and acts as a landmark for the city.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

San José Spotlight partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.

Sources

• City of Campbell Master Fee Schedule
• City of Campbell Instagram
• Crossing Light Studio Local History: The Campbell Water Tower
• The Historical Marker database Campbell Water Company Towers