New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-30
THE IXADEQU4TE WATER SUPPLY.

NEED OF NEW AQUEDUCT SET FORTH.
LETTER FROM COMMISSIONER THOMPSON ~ REPLY
TO COMPLAINTS THAT WATER WAS PUBPOsELY
WITHHELD.
A few days ago several gentlemen living in
Fortv-fOurtb-st. between sixth and SeVent h-aYcS,
wrote a letter TO MayOr Grace complaining Of a
scant supply and insufficient pressure of wafer i'll
their houses aud expressing a belief That In view
OF the cOp0us ralnialIs OF last autumn and the
consequent abundance of water in the reservoir,
their own short supply was due 10 the fact that
water was puTposeiy withheld from their district.
THIS letter referred 10 Hubert y. Thompson,
Commissioner OF Public Works, who replied to 1t
Yesterday in a letter addressed to the Mayor The
letter IS as follows:
Ihave received from your office, for immediate AZ
tentOD letter addressed toyou by Messrs Joshua &.
Sauaders Dr. Alexander Perry Dr. H. ID. DanlOrth, DR..
fls3i ~ Mona', anu o'He
Of Forty-fourthst. between slxtn aud seventh
ayes comp aniny OF inadequate supply and pressure OF
a6nvdonce OF supCly after tue rainfaIs lass autumn
during the latter part OF November and all Of December
and present scant supply during an abundant rain
fall tLey are led TO believe that II Is purposey Will
cusaton beg to say From The LIST Of hanury to the
lst of july of this year the aIuednct has delivered
water per day. which is its utmost capacity
During the same ZINE the supply IN the Croton Valley
hled 10 hign-water marx, ana the aquedlct running
tull an aVerdg surplus q 2U0ooo3Co gallons per- gay
River With the present aqueduct we nave therefore
been able get into the city only One-sXth of The sup
DIV winch we might had for the past six months If
here were sufficient storage and aqueduct capacity
retain and bring Il to tie city. Any assertions or ex-
rcssions opinion chat the aqueduct Is not allowed TO
bring all the water which eau be passed through 1t, or
all the water received Is not distributed 10 the pcO
Pile for Use. that any of II is held back or insa pied
10y he department, arc based on ignorance or wu Ils
Representations III Wc had Niagara ans instead nl he
iuon River 10 draw upon we could not receive III hc
city and deliver one GrOp of water more th1n we are
nov distributing until sc have another aQueGuct.
of the actual state OF Affairs II Is useless to sag
that 100000 gallons day are, or should be, sui
hc nj FOR our population Ihr grown III con91mpuyI
far beyond the growth OF the city N pJpud-
ton, of ground built upon or numbor OF buildings
New demands ana mehouS iOr using water aIise Hoh
day TO day. Commerce and lnanufactures OF every
description requiring water iii hundred different ways
are IN full operation; am expanding pe OHu pIrceeht.
power Is employed III the movement 81 materials
and persons, MOI only on tAe water ana lhe sttect o'
vi nm buildings. IeDehets, mats ana PIItdte u"e-
lngs have steam pumps to force the water 10 TIE
for lavish use TO every inmate Tue Depart
nent mas, far possible stopped the large waste
when IleFdeu diohS 'lo N"teI iIoht, III v''9i44 70
.hments Washing Sidewalks hOuseiroh'a ana yaIo5
Win hose and numerous other ways; Dut II Is as YET
without effective means or authority 10 oeerI auu con
troll the waste Ia private dwellings, WHICH, however III
nitesmal in individual case, is gigantic IN te az
grcgate. Experiments toward the accom-. shIncnt Oi
mai object are now beng made D. te Dt
~ Of cues, WIcIc inc
have unlimited means ana power, shows that no IIetGOd
yet been nevised ~ winch waste III private houses
can be completely stopped. .
with all the theories which may be advanced as TO
what constitutes sufficient supply Tor Guy Ike New
ork or 1t should be used II Is utterly lupOssDie 10
measure the supply TO each individual an Tue Dare
act remains mat aqueduct working - It's null
e.. capacity With ali tie successful EFFORTS OF the
4
Io OF bulIdngs cIInOt De supplied by pressure
Oh Tue second third higher doors, tIe people have
ctn OIned aud 2pecC u De supplied; ana cNcI
haQ the Department III. means 10 stop waste III dwell
ns the people look to the furtner inevitable de-
rase of pressure winch tue growth OF the city entails
before a new aqdtduct can be Quilt.
Referring specially to the comparison made by the
ants the press nj supply aud the supply
lasJ November and DcccIn ,er, nave 10 add
First nat during cool aud wet weather. such as pre-
vailed as November and December, the cOn5un puon
OF water is always temporarily decreased ana the hcad
Or pressure core pDndilsly improved.
SecOHd-lbat complaints OF inadequate pressure were
received last November and DecemOer and Tor years
past as well as nOw though Win the growth OF The ely
tIeir number naturally INCREASES especially When eA
IRENE hot or cold weather causes an unusual
amount OF waste. Very respectfully,
HUBERT o. THOMPSON, commissioner OF Public VOTES
In East Thirty-second-st. on Friday night CrotOn
wafer ran tie fourth OOrS of some OF the houses
for the fist time III three years.