, 1879-07-13
THE .WATER-SUPPLY.

The TRIBUNE of this morning publishes an
article upon the present water-supply, and
its growing insufhciency because of the
criminal wastefulness practiced by. the gen.
eral public. 4 year ago Mr. CHEsnRoUGH,
commenting upon this subject, said: ''Tbat
for all legitimate purposes whatever in city
like ours, itshould require (daily) hogshead
and quarter of water for each man, woman,
and child, is not possible, and is simply evi-
dence Of enormous waste" The evil as it
then existed has been increased since the
time when TINT was written. The city is
now supplied by two tunnels from the crib,
aud two pumping establishments. These
establishments are furnished with double
sets of engines. This is necessary, in order
to hare one set constantly ut work while the
other is resting or undergoing repairs or e1~
amination. The total pumping capacity of
both establishments is 105, ,000, 900 gallons Of
water every twenty-four hours. To work
the engines at their full capacity all the
time would be to subject the city to risk
that involved too serious consequences to be
tolerated. So much of the engine power as
may be consistent with safety to an unin-
te11upted supply, and admitting repairs Of
the machinery, is used, while the remainder
is held in reserve, SO that the maximum
of the pumping works is 100000
gallons Of water per day. This supply,
regarded with reference to the constant in
crease, will demand work of our pumping
establishments in 1850 beyond what they
can perform with safely. To push them to
their full capacity is to risk breakdown
which would leave the city unproyided at all.
The consumption Of water in this city dur
ing several years, Us compared with 1878
and part of 1879, per inhabitant, was as fol-
lows In 1874 the. population was 1896, ,4os,
and the supply 3s,o9o,e52 gallons, or
9G.3 to each person. In 1876, popu-
lation 100000. supply 41,931, ,481 gal
Ions, or for each person lob gallons In
1873, the population was 4s6, 531; the daily
supply 56,600,789 gallons. In thus last
named year, however, demand and supply
wero quite variable. Beginning in January
with IN average daily consumption Of 125
gallons per head Of consumers, it fell, up to
AIny, to ITO gallons. Then, with the CON-
ing Of warm weather., it took an upward
turn, and from July to August we find it
until it had reached about 139 gal
Ions. With September It fell off, declining
in November to 129 gallons. But with the
ensuing cold weather Of January it roso to
lat gallons per day. In February it fell to
about 143 gallons per consumer. In March
it was 131 gallons. The daily consumption
in April was about 122 gallons, while in May
it had gone still lower, touching ia gallons
In June the consumption was about 121
gallons.
twill be see n that the consumption reaches
its highest point in midsummer and midwin-
tar, aud the same result is experienced Thnd
from the same cause, in other places. In no
place, however, is the consumption per head
Of water so great as in Chicago. It 1s esti-
mated by the City-Engineer that Of the TO-
oo0, COO gallons daily distributed, at least
20, ,00o, 600 gallons are wasted,-are wantonly
run into the streets and sewers without any
possible benefit or use. This wastage is, un-
der the circumstances, criminal, and vigor-
ous measures must be adopted to arrest
it, or in 1880 the available means Of supply.
will be inadequate to the wants Of the CON-
munity. Of course, the first proposition
is to provide more machinery, and the pqr-
chase Of additional engines and erection of
an additional building on the West Side have
been proposed This would add 10000, 600
gallons daily to the present available capacity
Of the works, but it would not stop the
waste. It is, moreover, wholly impractica-
Bile for financial reasons. In the first
place, the new machinery and buildings
win cost $500, 1000. Tho city has no money
for this purpose on hand; it has no author
ty to borrow a dollar, and the limitation of
he city tax to 2 per cent prohibits the
money being raised in: that way: This
scheme, therefore, may be considered ont of
lie question. The necessity, then, Of re-
ieving the present establishments from the
oss BY wastage is, therefore, imperative.
This wastage is equal to nearly so per cent
L.