The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-05-12
OUR cRoToN.
Causes Of tn Scarcity-A Reckless Waste Of tho
Water by Consumers-The Perpetual Es-
cape Through Small Vents in Stores
and Barrooms-The Flooding Of
the Streets-London's Water.

ings HERALD was SO aprOpos and needful an ex-
preston of the interests Of the public that 1t Is
Immediately responded to through score Of
sensible and thoughtful letters addressed to by
citizens who read these columns. One of these
letters we publish below, 1t presents many In
teresting facts that show In what way the supply OF
Cr0ton water has become insufficient and how
Its consumption may be regulated so as not to ex-
coed the real demands OF necessity. The truth OF
the writer's remarks IL plain to need no argu
ment although in large metropolis 1t Is doubtful
II the best remedy of the evil would not be In devils
ing or discovering some Xhaustibe means OF sup
ply that would be sufficient for thousand years to
come even should the city grow with twice its
present rapidity. Too much OF the pure, sparkling
water Of the earth cannot be had, and "Adam's
ale is after all, Of more stable value to the human
family than the most costly wines that ever grew
be discouraged. Its waste is reprehensibe, and so
thinks the writer Of this letter.
The Supply and Waste OF Croton Water.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
Laxity in the use Of water now pervades every
class and condition OF society to such an extent
and Is habit so deeply rooted that it cannot be
remeded unless stringent laws and penalties are
enforced against it. No matter how urgent the ne
cessity, nor how repeated the representations Of
the evil neither conscience nor interest seem to
operate in checking this useless and sinful extrava-
gance. Should such necessity of life, comfort and
health which costs enormous an amount of labor
by careless and malicious persons, thereby deprv-
ing the community OF what in emergencies may be
OF the most vital importance?
THE MEANS OF SUPPLY AMPLE ENOUGH.
There Is reason to believe that the present
means Of supply are ample to furnish the city with
sufciency OF the fluid for all necessary purposes,
If the reckless extravaganza in the misuse OF water
| was prevented. In the year 1867 Mr.. John ii.
e s raTvT e OF 1s e Tesea
| tee :-"New York, with population OF 100000,
consumes SO, 600 gallons OF water, while London,
txutfh prIoftn nf u nOn lint
00O0, 900 gallons of water. think about Ourfths
ofthe water here is wasted The present pressure of
water in this city is about ten pounds at the n.y.
drants. 1t formerly was some forty pounds. which
might still be obtained II waste were prevented. On
the high grades city everything Is at the mercy
be laid, at the cost OF sl,0o0,00o. Did not think
there was safety for water works anywhere except
| by measurement Of water. If water was metered
| new main would not be required for ten years
YETI Here we have burden entaed upon the
/ taxable community ten years before 1t is actually
| THE RECKLESS WASTE OF WATER
| II it continues unchecked how many more new
| mains, DAMS reservoirs and aqueducts viii be re-
qured to provide for our legitimate wants and
waste9 Is not this feature of the case well worthy
| of the consideration Of the community?
The facility OF leaving faucets open and the water
| running is probably the greatest source of waste
and precisely where lies the root or the whole evil,
as will become apparent on perusal of the following
| extract from the
oKoToN AouEDUcr BOARD REPORT FOR 1851,
page ], 419:-"There are in the city great number
of small jets, with basins beneath, on the counters
| Of groceries and barrooms, confectioneries and
| bakeries, the discharge from which is generally
either carried into sewers or passed to the street
! CUTTERS beneath the tagging OF the sidewalk.
These, viewed separately, seem trining affairs, and
| incapable of producing any marked influence upon
| the general supply; but under the pressure OF
head Of more than hundred feet, which in many
| cases Is the fact, small Orfce will discharge
PRoDIGIoUs QUANTITY OF WATER
| In the course Of year. systematic effort has
collect from them the revenue which the ordinance
has defined The free use OF these, as In all cases
where privileges undisturbed have been long en-
| jOyed Is claimed right and payment for
/ them has been met with opposition and grumbling
In one case, where q party was charged 80
with such strong on Expressions Of Of the i'm
position practised upon him as induced
the quantity Of water actually lowing from IT, it
was found to discharge half pint every ten Sec
tinued throughout the entire year, it follows that
1877, 100 gallons annually Is thus wasted, equal to
furnishing family OF twenty persons each with
period The jet referred to IS not larger, perhaps
smaller, than the average OF those used for similar
truth to assume that there are in the city 500
OF them, discharging as much water as the one
100 900 900 OF gallons is shown from this source only
1t cannot be long before necessity will compel the
passage of an ordinance aboshing these jets alto
! getter or compelling the payment ola annual
! charge at least five times great as that now i'm
| posed. The great outlets OF waste are, however,
to be sought for in other quarters; among these,
| street washers are still prominent, consuming in
calcuable quantities OF water to no useful purpose
| whatever; millions OF gallons are worse than
| wasted in
| FLOODING INSTEAD OF sPRINKLING THE STREETS,
running the pavements and leaving them mass OF
mud during the summer months; and to these add
the hundreds OF streams kept running In stores and
! warehouses, communicating with sewers In the
| lower wards, throughout the year, and the cata-
log6e will begin to show its enormty. In the cause
of waste last specified, it is not unusual to find
written in conspicuous characters over water closets
| and urnals "Leave the water running" To stay
! these accumulated abuses the department Is at all
times exerting the power and influence 1t possesses
but without the aid and support of the consumers
themselves its progress. in so herculean work,
| must necessarily be slow and unsatisfactory.
Whether such aid will ever be extended to Il,
suffering produced by deficient supply Is, perhaps,
| not to be expected. Bad habits are already too
daily thanksgiving should be offered are
SO commonly and 80 constantly abused
lated families Would these families tolerate ike
| waste in other and less necessary supplies II 1t
were possible to circumscrbe the use OF water to
indispensable purposes only, furnishing for these
the most liberal supply, no addition would be re-
CURED to the works.fOr
THE NEXT TWENTY YEARS
except to guard against accidents to the aqueduct
itself, by having the means OF storing an increased
quantity on this island. In this is found the
| indicated by the possibility Of such accident.
REPORT OF THE CROTON AQUEDUCT BOARD 1852
The = ~ rep r gee seas
for the distribution OF Croton water in one OF the
modern hotels in Broadway, remarks:-
'sThe total number of faucets gives more than
| four hundred openings through which water is de-
| livered and discharged into public sewers, SO that
II left running at all times no damage can happen
| with such arrangements, for the consumption OF
water under the control OF little army OF careless
/ servants and irresponsible guests, how Is any rea
/ sonabe economy to be expecteds"
| These statements made twenty years ago. clearly
expose the enormity OF the waste arising from
| open faucets alone How stupendous must be
THE INCREASE OF THE EVIL
since them The faucets now used are not only
than at that time. Competent judges estimate that
ordinary faucets, exposed to average pressure, will
discharge about three thousand gallons Of water
per day. II there In each house In this city
| dozen faucets capable Of delivering only one-haf
of the above amount OF water daily, IL
can be estimated how enormous quantity
of water can be wasted through careless
ness leaving faucets open. 1t Is thus clear that
II every faucet was left open the waste would be
enormous that no supply would be sufficient for