Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-07-18
THE WATER SUPPLY.
JAMES RIVER QUITE LOW. BUT THE
RESERVOIR FULL.
Waste Very Great. bat Our supply
Good Except at Very Ele-
waited Points.

The continued heat and absence OF rain
in this vicinity within the last few weeks
has caused considerable apprehension OF
drought. and Dispatch reporter called yes
terday afternoon at the Office OF Mr.
Charles f. Boiling. Superintendent of the
City Water Works. and made inquiries az
to the present condition of our reservoirs
and pump-house. and their capacity to
supply the city with water in case OF a
prolongation of the dry spell.
SCARCITY AT HIeH ELEVATIONS.
"what are the prospects of the city's
water-supply for the summer!' asked the
reporter DO YOU think the works can
supply us in case of continued drought!
" 4 see nothing to prevent it, said Mr..
Boiling. There is. of course, q scarcity
of water at some points IN the city OF hlch-
mOnd at high elevations owing TO the fact
that an immense waste is continually GO
ing on in the premises connected with the
pipes. Persons at these more elevated
portions of the city are necessarily greatly
inconvenenced. as il Is difficult for them
TO obtain water except AT night. when the
consumption Is by no means so great.
People should take into consideration now
essential it is TO prevent this waste, as often
ii binders their neighbors from getting
water. and Is not advantageous To the
health OF the city at large
RESERVOIRS QUITE FULL.
Speaking of the comparative quantity
of water in the reservoirs at this time,
Mr.. Boiling said: They are up to the
hgh-water mark: in fact, IA full as they
have been at any time In the past. Inc
New reservoir contains 4O,000,O0O gallons
and the Old reservoir 5000 600. IL Is true
the reservoir lake now presents some
what dried-up appearance. but as the
water in this is supplied almost entirely
By springs. the people need feel no alarm
on account of the supplies TO come from
our water-works. am thinking of adding
to the supply now in the lake. as l could
easily do so without diminishing the city's
by pumping from the reservoir"
DAILY CONSUMPTION.
AT this time" continued Mr.. Boiling.
"the daily consumption of water IN tins
city is II. 100000 gallons. or about 100 gal
Ions per capita. Onr maximum daily capa-
city is estimated at about 20,0OO.0O0 gal
Ions. while the least flow of the river
Is 1000 cubic feet per second. Ot tins
we only use about 600 cubic feet, so you
can easily see that we need feel no uneasi-
ness
AT present" continued Mr.. Boiling, :"
am adding some repairs to the coping at
Bosher's dam III place of that which was
swept away in the floods of last summer,
this being the first time that the river has
been sufficiently low for us to repair these
| damages.
The pumps are now being worked to
their fullest capacity, with the exception
of the steam pumps, which we run once IN
every three days. The present depth oi
| the water in the reservoir ls twenty feet
above the basin bottom, and it has never
been below that, to my knowledge, IN the
last four years"
THE RIVER.
| In reference TO the shallow condition OF
james river at present Mr.. Boiling said
Prom my general observation OF the
river there is considerably more water
flowing from Bosher's dam than there wa,
| i'm 1876. the time OF the continued
| drought, or IN 1891, when there was an
other memorable dry SPELL
"Is there any liability of an accident Of
| any time while the river Is low by when
the water-supply might be reduced below
| the amount of consumption Z" asked the
reporter.
| mot by any means that can see," re-
piled MIR. Boiling. Our water-wOrks are
among the best in the United States, and
have the greatest confidence in them"
The reporter being thus assured tina,
there was nothing to fear from drought
with orr present reservoir system, bade Dir
Boiling good-day and departed.