The New York herald., 1879-03-01
THE CRoToN WATER SUPPLY.

WHY THE SERVICE IN HOUSEHOLDS ON THE
EAST AND WEST SIDES vARIEs--MR. Bird
SAILS STATEMENT.
A complaint reached the office Of the HERALD yes
terday from resident of East Eightysecond street.
between Second and Third avenues to the effect that
this particular block the supply of Croton water
short that it did not run in the pipes above
the first stories of the houses and great
inconvenience thereby caused. The gen.
tleman who complained said that he pre-
sumed the shortness Of the supply in this
place caused by some accident to the mains, as
the people the Surrounding blocks had no such
trouble but had plentiful supply of water, and he
relied on the HERALD obtain relief for the unfor
tunate Eighty-second street residents.
A HERALD reporter was accordingly instructed to
investigate the matter, and did thoroughly as
possible. On visiting Yorkville and making in
quiries in considerable number of places he OBJ
tained such apparently contradictory reports that he
at first bewildered and at q loss to understand
them On looking over his notes. however, he found
that the people who complained of being short Of
water were all located east of Third avenue, and
those who found scarcity were all either on Third
avenue or to the west of it. As Third avenue is at
about the level with the streets and these
streets apparently about high the west
they to the east Of Third avenue he forced
service of water and that the east side Of Third
the dividing line. On inquiring about the
matter Of Mt Birdsall the engineer Of the Depart
mentof Public Works, under whose charge this mat
ter falls the fact was found to be as stated Third
avenue ana the ground to the west Of it are served
with the high service and there are stop cocks in
each main extending eastward which separate the
high water from the low water service.
WASTE WATER.
''There hAS been so great waste of water" said
Mr.. Brdsall. during the weather this winter
that water supply is little low. and as soon
Iotv,
people who live in those higher portions of the city
which not reached by the high service"
''Eas there been greater waste of water than
usual this winter?" asked the reporter.
YES replied Mr. Brdsall. 1.-The winter has been
like that of 1875. and many of the houses in the
city are badly or cheaply plumbed that people let
the water at night to avoid having their pipes
frozen up. and We can't prevent it, During the day
will get along all right but soon night comes
our supply runs down..
but the higher portions OF the city are the only
affected why not extend the high water service
to take them all n?' asked the reporter.
Because have now included all that can
serve with our present system Of pumps" answered
the engineer. "We are doing all we can, and it is
necessary draw the liue somewhere it draw
at Third avenue. We building new pumps how
ever. and when they are completed. say in about q
year from now, the lines will be extended and will
probably be drawn in that part of the city at Second
avenue. There is heavy, grade reaching from
Seventyninth to Eightyninth street. and the ground
is there about sixtyeight feet above tidewater Now
the service from the High Bridge reservoir is SUN.
cent to supply this height but at the Central Park
and Forty second Street reservoirs the water Is
only from eighty to eightyve feet above mean tide.
and that does not supply the upper stories. 1t is
natural enough for man to complain when he sees
the water running higher in his neighbors' houses
than it does in his own, but the explanation you
see. Is simple"
What is the proportion of waste this year2" asked
the reporter.
During January the consumption was about eight
million gallons greater than the average during the
year. and during February it has been about three
million five hundred thousand gallons more. We
live in hopes. however. that the spring will come
some time and then it will be all right"