New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-21
WASTING THE CROTON.
REASONS FOR THE SHORT SUPPLY.

REASONS FOR THE SHORT SUPPLY.
TUE AouHDucT TAXED TO IT'S FULL CAPACITY
THE SUPPLY IN THE LARGE STORAGE RESERVOIR
sryApuY 1aDUCED-PRECAUTIoAs IN CASE OF
FIRE.
MANY complaints continue to be made of the short
snpply of Croton in the upper stories OF nearly ai
the houses in the city. In the greater number tne
water rises to the second floor but in soma it VIII
not rise above the first story. There is moro NEON
venience felt among the residents OF the more re-
spectacle parts of the city than In the tenementf-
houses for the reason that tue aLSer a. end
thing are built on the low grOunu vi tno ""0' 'NN
west sides of the city -, A., .,,.-
Engineer Campbell who is in charge Of the aque-
duct and reservoirs, was asked N o
things would soon be remedied. He. re-
Piled: "The only hope we have ~ that the people
viii stop wasting the Crot0n. Enough ls Dronent
into the city daily, but the people VIII waste II In
splte of all we can do. They have learned thaI
freezing is prevented by leaving the faucets turneu
on and allowing the water to run ana 90 they con-
tmne This waste. The waste is not confined TO any
one district. 1t seems to be almost unlVeTSail. /
have sent inspectors around 70 ascertain EneIe H
Ne the most waste and to endeavoS to prevent ~ by
the threats of fines but 1t is exceedingly dcut 10
find any one violating the act and, OF course no
servant will admit that she does enytnng 3i to
kind. When o warm sped comes, people VIII STOP
this wasteful habit. There Is no reason why they
should continue it now with the temperature Us IL
o" How has this waste affected the reservoirs n
eft has had the effect OF drawing down the
Croton stored in che large reservoir In Hental fark
about go feet since December 30 Here are my
fabulated reports each day. December 80, when
the cold snap began there was in the large reservoir
depth OF % feet inches: This was drawn gown
IN the succeeding twenty-four hours incnee, ieav
inc 81 feet o inches This indicated O. waste OF
10 800 900 gallons IN those twenty,four noaIa Ior
the usual amount Of TateT So tS w: Ss
10 allowing the Croton to run continually by house.
holders TO prevent it from freezing. In spite Of
orr efforts from December 81 10 January ~ ~
the aupply in the reservoir was drawn down 10
25 feet loss of feet inches. Yesterdays report
shows that the supply was reduced to ~ feet y
inches, and to-day that the reouCon SUI Con ,o
in the reservoir by this last report depth OF ~
feet gig inches, showing that 1t bad been reduced
one inch in the past twenty-four hours
Cannot the supply coming into the reservoir DC
%No: the aaueduct is now~running at its full ca
pacity. January l there was coming through the
aqueduct uniform depth of over six feet; At that
time the Croton River was thrty-one inches below
The lip Of the dam; The storm OF January ,aIy
it was only inches below the lip OF the dam, and
on the following day it was raining over at UNI,
form depth of z inches There Is now depth OF =
water which the aqueduct is now delivering Is z
feet inches and that much as can with safety
be passed through it. This gives delivery OF about
05 600 900 gallons daily. And yet You see, because
of the waste, there ave been days when the CITY
has used over 100 O00. 900 gallons. There is plenty
storage reservoirs, although the latter are by no
means full. The trouble is that the present aqucduct
is not large enough to supply the INCREASED demand
made upon it, =
What is the capacity Of the large reservoirs in
Central PARK, and how many days supply do they
hold n
"They are both receiving and distributing reser-
voirs. The large one holds about l,O5OOOO,OOO
gallons, and the smaller 2JO.OOO,OO0 gallons
If the CITY continued to 1000 900 gallons
daily, of course there would be only about twelve
and half days supply but the depth OF the large
reservoir Is thirCvsiX feet when 1t Is ful aud you
see 1t is drawn already about one third. IL IS abb
s0utey necessary that we should keep from ten
days 10 two weeks supplysn the reservoir, for the
aquedgct might breag ~ any time"
" Have yOu reduced the pressure q
Somewhat. This the only way in which
the consumption OF the CrOtOH could be checked"
What would occur in case of fire ~
This is provided for. We are IN telcRraphic
communication with the keeper OF the gate-house at
the reservoir and il Necessary the pressure can BE-
readily increased. We do not anticipate that the
public Will be inconyencnced much longer. In fact
il rests with the public how SoOn the Old condition OF
things shall be restored As waste ,sstODped
the reservoir will slowly begin tO fill. and wa can
restore the pressure at all points. OF rather the pres
sure will regulate itself. II IS because - many are
allowing it 70 run continually on the lower floors
that 10 will not mount to the upper"