The New York herald., 1878-11-01
OUR WATER SUPPLY.

COMPLAINTS yRoM THE AroH LEVEL DISTRICTS
OF A DEFICIENCY OF CRoToN wArEn-EcoN-
( oMY PRAoT1sED By THE OFFICIAL PURvBY-
. oRs-THE MAXIMUM CARRYING CAPACITY
OF THE AQUEDucr REACHED THREE YEARS
AGo--Lcw PREssUnEs IN THE Dowxrowx
DISTRICTS H*t+~44
The subject OF the following remarks is a very
familiar one 10 the citizens OF New York, and par.
ticuary TO those residing In the uptown high level
districts, where deficient supply Of water is cause
OF constant complaint During the warm summer
months shc privaious Of families living the upper
fats OF houses in Yerkviils and Murray Hill
seriously distressing. Even Tor the ordinary house.
hold purposes, apart IRON the requirements Of tho
bathroom waer closets and bedrooms, Il becams and
in some continues 10 be a matter OF
the -gravest anxiety whether the water may
not tail altogether and send the kitchen.
maids, can In hand, IN search OF water
TO cook the daily meals. In tho central and down.
town DISTRICTS although the water does not fa 10 run
from the taps. the how eobIs that the virtue oi
patience must be praetised before any considerable
quantity OF water can be drawn from The driDblng
source. Altogether the condition oil The water sup
ply 10 growing every day more unsatis factory, and
steps soon be taken to guard New York against
state OF things the least disagreeabis feature OF
which would be empty Kitchen kettles and short al
lOwance IN the batntub.
EcoNoMizING THE WATER,
AS explained by the engineer IN charge Of the Croa
supply the droughs of 1876 and 1877 reduced the
In the Uroton district and the main reservoir
In New York SO low necessitate extension OF
tho high pressure system to much larger area than
II was INTENDED - supply. The connection with
low pressure mains The Yorkville, Murrsy Ai
and other sections OF New York needing water. aud
Of the limited dow from the tower and reservoir at
High Bridge caused corresponding reduction OF the
general PRESSURE and consequently the water did not
to the regular high pressure lsvo IN the houses
rhis loss began be felt from the upper floors down
ward. Az result there was decided falling or In
the consumption and less waste, because the how at
all points became ieebleE Thus although the
WIS distributed well possible under the olrcum
Stances each consumer got loss OF 1t n ench twenty
four hours and the taxation OF the reserves was
reduced. During the recent warm months, and par
tcularly the yellow fcver had galvanized
the authorities into MAKING spnsmodic efforts at keep
ing the cutters ceun flushing. great loss Of water
took place from the limited Tne fall due
this special drain At tue main reservoir In Central
Park amounted, It Is stated, to one inch per
day over an area OF about one hundred
OF surface, about twoard-a-hair millions OF
gallons. This less TO ul supply would be triding
one, but with short supply represented Of the
that mado up nearly ten per cent OF the total
daily drain from the reservoirs. Ltteriy tho exraor
d,nary demand tor gutter flushing ana stroct spring.
ling, well rs the loss BY evaporation having been
roduced 70 minimum, t was hoped that she reserves
would gain In quantity ny 10 much Of saving. This
10, however. not the case and dehct has still 70 be
consldered whom distributing sns supply. rhs nigh
is not as during tho summer led Into the
wni0h Il 10 intended. Therefore some OF the uptown
districts are ge.tng better supply during the past
90, but othor adtacent districts are really
/ reduced In their daily allowance OF water,
THE CAPACITY OF fhE AQuEDucr TAXED.
In reply 10 The question whstnSr tbs AQusduct Was
not carrying a. much water just now as II was safe 70
lot into II tho engineer says:-Candidy thai - 90.
the was srgsuy ou g carry .S1S:
20 negnt oi about Ave ieet nine inohea We are
now, and tor some two or three years have been,
running It up 10 nearly ninety millions on an aver
ago, ana a. q heighs Tor seven ieet threo or iour
incnes." Even with this draught on the max
imum carrying capacity OF the aqusducs tho
sometimes little IN excess Of the supply;
Ss,i. over The demand ior water viii increase Increase
In proportion. The engineer remarked that large
not represent The water requirements Of ordinary
houses but OF rs many houses AZ there arc occupied
governed BY .hs capacity the aqueduos bring il
from the Groom Valley the Time must soon come
per capita co b. reduced 70 meet the gener.
ally increasing demand In considering this important
question OF reducing the per capita censumptlon it
must DO remem bered that abundance increases
The writer s informed that before the recent watcf
works improvements at Cnlcsge tue consumption per
y
new supply tunnel. WAS eonslructed and the water
IN from the ins.nsussole reservoir q
TO 40 gallons per inhsb'tanL Even
groa. waste Of water in a city like New York must
and tho pAvshents OF streets carry all the ram
water TO the sewers, and thus keep them compara-
prolonged dry seasons now from lne s,roets
roots, aud no water Tor clearing the sewers except
that which 10 said TO be ..wasted." -t
CONDITION AQUEDUCr.
In view OF the strain pus upon the aqusduct 10 sup.
ply water Tor New York some .apprenensions have
been expressed that Il might give way a. some woak
point ana leave the ctty absolutely without
means OF getting water. until the break or
sngiIser has NO Tears and, feels conAdent
tnat the structure will stand It's presoas work. Con-
slant inspeclIon 10 a guarantee against tho danger
suggested. BY closing gate tne be run on
and damages repaired before they become serf
a. TO sadangsr total iauSe OF the water supply.
dtsn Of things that places New YORK between Two
aaugorsTna%ey ma ,es, gradual s,nS o. ns wa.sf
anu that Of a break In The CONDUIT wn,ch might In
volve weeks OF delay in making substantial repairs.
Somo independents means OF supply must DO provided
very soon II will De prudent 10 consider that there
10 no uso In increasing tho producsiveness Of the
tho consumer, and lnat reliance tno present aquo
quot ID suanod 10 the utmosI rN
Low PREssuRgs DOWN TOWN.
The pressure the mains in the lower districts,
say around sue City Hail. range as low as three pounds
mauy miles OF mains 10 immense, and there Is barely
pressure enough some pipes 70 cause the water 20
bubble out vi The hydfhnta In case OIL nre II IL pos
sbs 10 increase the pressure perhaps TO seventeen or
even 10 nttlo over twenty pounds per square
inon, bat oven this Is done at a risk Of burst
Ing tbe pipes that wore ia,d prior 10 1870. In
accd tho writer has been informed by the en-
gnesr OF the Croton Water Departments that scarcely
any oil the pipes lard before 1870 were inspected
during manuiacturc, and that they cannot 90 relied
on 70 bear extra pressureR These iacts arc now
coming TO light, indorsed by the officials The
HnRAID recently oailsd attention 10 .he danger from
mains when discussing tue advsabIllty OF sup
piem the gravitation system by pumping power
IL " proposed 10 erect pumping station aud tower
Tar from the present reservoir In Central PARK
for the further supply OF me hgh lcvo ds,rcss but
viii be necessary TO insure against the danger Of
rupturng the pipes already laid. Altogether The
water question OF New YORK 10 the most important
that eau be considered by tho authorities, and
should receive the earliest attention.
THE $4,000 FORGERY.
In the OF Charles W. Pontez, who 10 confined In