New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-23
NETWORKS WATER SUPPLY AGAIN.

The latest appeal for more water comes at an
odd time We have just passed through pro-
longed and severe drouth: one Of the worst on
record For weeks Of the late summer and fall
the whole Croton basin was desertlike In it's
dryncss There was no rain. no dew The
meadows turned brown the leaves withered and
fell from the trees Wells and springs were ex
hausted. and the beds Of brooks We're dry and
dusty Yet there was no scarcity Of water in
New York, nor any deterioration OF quality
There was no thought nor danger OF a water
famine. 1t was not even reckOned necessary to
reduce the pressure or 10 ask the public to be
SHARING Of the fluid SO far as the city was con
cerned It did not seem to matter whether West
chester and Putnam counties had month Of
drouth or a month Of rain.
Yet now we are told that the amount Of water
in the reservoirs Is running dangerously low"
and Immediate action Is urged for large and
permanent Increase Of the supply. Doubtless
this representation Is made In good faith. But
II should not be misnterpreted. New-lork to-
day has one Of the purest and most abundant
water supplies in the world. 1t is ample for all
legitimate present uses. 1t Is not imperilled by
any conceivable drouth. 1t will be. when the
great works now under way are finished, sum
Gent for the needs Of the city for many years
to come.
What Is needed, more than any further extern
sion Of the aqueduct system, Is the enforcement
of a reasonable economy in the use or wafer
1t Is perfectly we'll known that millions OF gal
Ions are daily wasted in the most wanton man
ner The thousands Of grogshops, for example,
are serious offenders. In each Of them a CON
slant flow is maintained, unchecked and I'M
taxed by any meter In many stables the use
of water for carriage washing Is three times
what is really necessary. There are innumerable
other sources Of waste, wholly unjustifable II
these were strictly regulated. the saving OF
water would be enormous. and no one would
suffer from 1t in the least. The city ought to
supply to Its inhabitants every drop OF water
needed for the ampIest possible use for health
and comfort. 1t ought not to permit, so far as
It can prevent 1t, the wasting Of single drop
When. ultimately, the vast growth OF the
American capital does make an Increased sup
ply imperative, 1t may be well to take into con-
slderation the dual system, which has been
adopted in Paris and other cities, and which has
already been suggested here. very large pro
portion Of the water consumption Is not for
drinking or cooking or bathing purposes, but
for purposes for which less scrlpulousy
pure supply would serve equally well. See
ing this, the engineers OF Paris have laid
double system OF pipes. one carrying pure spring
water, the other water taken from the Seine.
For street-sprlnkling and washing. for the use
Of the Fire Department, and for many manu-
featuring purposes. the latter is just as good as
the former and the saving OF expense Is very
great It would doubtless be easy TO procure
similar secondary supply for New-York; In
which case the yield Of the Croton basin, for
household purposes, would be ample for this
city's needs for a century to come.