New-York tribune., 1882-02-14
THE CITYS WATER SUPP LY.
MEASURES TAKEN TO INCREASE TT.

MEASURES IAkEN ~ lNChEAoC IL
RECOMMENDATIONS MADE by THE COMMISSIONER
OF PUBLIC WORKS IN HIS ANNUAL REPORT.
The scant water supply of the summer and fall of
1881 and the necessity for enlarging the supply OF
Croton for the metropolis, have induced Commits
sioner Thompson and his engineering force during
the last year to examine closely the best and most
expeditions method of overcoming the difficulty In
his annual report just made TO the Mayor, Commits
sioner Thompson details these facts at length.
With reference TO the drOuth of 1881, the report
says.
In respects the year 1881 has been the most re-
marklble one in the history OF our watt supply Inc
rainfall in Ss0had been nght-3S 52lOO Inches belnS
two inches less Than in any previous year since the lhuo
ducon OF Cfotcn water-and the ara . upon
reservoirs and lakes large nat when the springs
and streams In the Croon basin We're closed Dy severe
frost, as early the mid lie Of November SsO there
only u very small reserve supply in storage. with
the extreme cod weather which prevailed without inter
uIpon lat winter until late in February, had the
usual increase Of consumption through waste in keeping
avid fb prri which would have ensue( from a com
petc exhaustion Of the supply in storage in he
Croon basin and in the city reservoir 1t became neces
say reduce the outflow for dis rbution IN tue city ny
partially shutting down the Oute gates of the diS1bn
Ing reservoir. The didcues were thus tdcd over until
thaws and reshctE Increased the flow Of the CrolOn
River and fcp ,nshed the reservoirs an lakes Al tne
heg Of the crisis the storage reduced to
l75O00,O00 gallons This Perlou. coneition was re
ocdentci drouh Of last summer and aun nm The rain
and AND usiTs septsmbcr ere was S" only 4Sii6O inches
TD9 u nche thS and for s75 nce In Ts R
progress Of this drouth the drafts upon the storage
reservoirs. lakes and ponds rom Jul 20 TO October 81
seyenty-two days, amounted to 5,16oOOOOOO gallons,
ycage OF s0OOJOOO lions per day. In the tier
part OF september and during October it became
to resort t. an extra1ruary measure 10 curtai the
consumption of water. TIE outflow from tue dist ID
ut ng reservoir was again reduced by gradually shnting
down tine outlet to Ofd r. given TO discontinue
tle suppl to public fountains and drinking hi dr'nts
th ougi hose to wash sidewalks stoops ar, as ami
house fronts revoked and the further of water
were maze to the puzzle by the Department and
by proclamation of the Mayor to Use the water spar
H. ely possible; all the means available TO the Depart
meut suppress waste put IN vigorous operation.
The evils lnd dangers of partial usp n,ion of the
he CrotOn River, which was ten probably less than
lO,O0O0OO gallons per day, were thus avert d. with
less cisve AID and energetic treatment OF tile stu
alton We could not have escaped them
On the 18TH If May appointed Isaac Newton Chief
Engineer OF the rotOn aqucduct in place of John C.
campbell, resigned He at applied himself to a
car,f stud, of The condition of our water system and
the questions involved IL its maintenance and
ment IA the eNanla ion and consideration OF lis sub
ject ne aided 10y ;. Cncsbrough an eminent hy-
drauic engineer whose services consulting engineer
had secar III April ir Newton submitted to me in
special report, approved by Mr.. Chesbrough result
oi his Investigations recommending Tor Immediate adop
ton the folio" ing measures
Ihe vigorous prosecution of all available and prao
ueable means to suppress ~, waste o. wat, r. ~,
STRENGTHENING the Meah parts ot me pes nj lrduct
Regulating the outnOw from the dis rbutmg seTvOir,
Il to Keep the ely reservoirs alw ys wei hei
The speedy completion OF the works Tor the supply
from the DronI and byram Rivers.
"a conduit,
TO brn-; additional suJpIy D. water into 'he city.
No ne effort has been lost in studying, Celebrating
ana pefccng the plans ana Ineas e. Involved III these
ltcohhehloh' "hu Ia t'ie ehtIre shtrc a-d so iar as
the wItnu the present means power 4 the De
shortly a,er his rcpori Of as April Mr. Newt ~ gave
The outlines of plan for storing and conveying the
water, OF The CrUon To TIE ciiy IL evdeni me,
that If te pan could be carried Out il woula put
trey new pas on tbe question # Ob aiming aidi
fa distant utdre tue various propositions wncD have
beeu hlAde Tor 90 aiming water from remote
CroOd, near It's mouth, thus embracing toe entire dIs
cna Of lie wateIsncu, ana adding about twenty yhrce
square miles 10 tuc existing urdiIagc Tue
NOr OF akc formed by this ualn uld OF
5000 acres and Won contain available sorag
% AVS witiout recourse 10 iLc G,,y If he 90 on
would be run L. tAe iaren RIVER AID from theLcc to
the PtIk reservoir. Win the all Of T.. ca b
yrOdcI, consulting Iueer, tAs plan been worked
ont by great diligence the details have been |
estimate to be made. At Chicfi1siuccr Ne%tol's |
request Jonn g. Jervs tle coust ucto, IF the Crotou
tue American society of Clvil Engineers eminent !
hydrauhcd were requested to gv' ,her omaon on the
LlAh proposed he'so jews, ffahcIs ana Chesp."u-h
the most eminent Aydrau engineers in the cpuntry
k h. Martin, Jne cIc.ugineer u tne instruct on oi
the Ban lore wafer Noik7 I'M e "a ieihdI thIr ana
successful work also requested o. give . opinion.
IIcse eminent ehgueers "itAout consultation "ltl |
cach 0ner, gave tH"r reports AID opinions On the sub
joct-, substance stated tnat the plan proposed by
tAe tst plan for Oh, aiming additional wafer sup "
for Tie cy Tue estimate made early IN tue season i"r
l5UUJUUOu glors' daily delivery wa, Tl2OJJ.OO0.
subsequent CATION shown that tnc WJrA could
be- cXcCutCd within tDat estimate. IAr pldu now pro
posed, however, cCntrmplitcs an tqucGuvt M ab at /
-JOUUOOOO gallons daily capacity and the estimate IOr
tno constitution Is Sl4,OOJoOU.
The substance OF the remainder Of the report re-
lating to the water supply Is a- follows:
during tue past year .291 additional water meters
have been placed III buildings; making j,-93 new III |
use Bronx River water Wuras, IN, en- ,rd 4 Dlng into
tic city the waters the BrOaX and ByrIH EF,i- Hds
been sioaIy prosecuted The general dsp' itun to /
ne water IN "A laws Ciul manner l' shown by /
the large consumption The hsu service districts. /
Iyuiiug the We r I,236OOJ 900 gallons of
pnmp. and dis rbltcd fro: the hi service works be-
Ing II 100000 gallons per day, suppl "g 49, DIV
ins "A ctOric- - ahl-r aud J5- scbO L. elm chs,
asy nS and her lnstiutO ~. rms i ~ average pf
}T gallons per day Tor each budding and an average
o 100 "a daily per capita. AT TINS rate the con
sutupI ion for the entire ely would be at l. aHt |
600 gallons per day. whi- the actual supply |
" hic the alueduc is cap bic ot d ysrlug Is il Tie
% OOOO 900 gallons III add iOua water
~ brou into the ely by COudut-, II will bo utcr-
y Impossible extend the hi serNlC" beyond It's pres
The collections Of Croton water revenues are $40
less than the amount c0Icc.ed III 1850. The falling of
il accounted by the Tcduc ion in the rate for water
furnIs he'd thruugn meters made 10y prcdtccssO Ia
r IssUfrOIu 10 cents per 100 cubic feel, or GEMS
per 100 gallons, to ~ cents per 100 cuplo feet,
duction was made there were l,ol2 meters III |
use. since then the number of meters has been III
crcas 40 293 The collections OF water revenues Ia
N,w.Yurk for 1881 are flJl0,19l; the population as |
per United States Census of 1850 rs l2O61JU; cOnso
gueutly the wacrTale this pOpula ion Is 81 - pcr
capita.