The reason we see massive water tanks up on hills or perched high up on stands is to create enough pressure to make the water flow through the pipes to service the local area. For the water to get to the tank, it must be pumped up there, so a transfer pump is required to do this. This is cost-effective on a large scale to serve a community, but for a homeowner in the suburbs, not so much. This is why we don’t see tanks perched high in urban backyards, it’s just not justifiable in our urban environment with all the rules and regulations. I still see the odd tank stand in semi rural and rural areas, but the cost of pressure pumps is not much more than a transfer pump and eliminates a lot of work in the process. I still love the rustic look of a tank stand with a corrugated iron tank on it, but I grew up with it on a farm as kid, so I’m biased that way.