New-York tribune., 1896-01-29
THE CITY'S WATER SUPPLY.
COMMISSIONER WHITE PREPARING HIS
REPORT
PLANS TO SATISFY THE PEOPLES NEEDS-No
CAUSE FOR NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF

THE PAVING DEPARTMENT.
The CITY Works Commissioner. Mr.. White,
w.s busilv engaged Yesterday in preparing his
rerort on the city water-supply problem ioi
presentation to the Board Of Aldermen next
week. For months, and, In fact' ever S'''''
he has been in office. Mr.. White has found the
solving Of the knotty question of this ora"cn
OF his department the most laborlous anu
vexatious of any civic problem which ras cohe
before him. It's great Importance. as every one
Interested in city affairs knows mas nhai'
brought about proposals for It's separation "'o
a department practically by itself, 10 DE III
onerat ton inst az soon as a bill for that purpose
can be passed by the Legislature NO" 'ha'
there Is a more than reasonable certainty io'
the change Mr.. White and other high city OH
cIals are wondering why the Department was
not divided years ago.
A great many half-informed people nave W.
rated the powers that be for what they 'e'n' u"
Inadequate and inefficient service p"' LII.
words Of the Commissioner and the r'Po'' VI
the work accomplished VIII be TOT ''e ,"'
mart q refutation of ill-natured criticism IL Is
true that the newly annexed towns are pau''
or IN respcct TO a sufficient water supply pu'
II the plans be carried out in the near i"''''
there will be no ground for complaint
TALK WITH NIX. W tiiir''
T., ronlv ~ a question regarding the generai
condition of the water supply in BrooNlY"' va
White said: "The average daily cohsui"p''o"
81 water IN 1895 SO.l24,4S2 gallons as co'''-
narod with 76Oj7 ,654 gallons daily during tue
preceding year
"Fortunately las. year. e"en during '"e 'N
,reme drouth the supply of water IN SroohNn
proved adequate for every need, and 1t was ''o'
..I,,t
,,on even for a day. And it is a matter OF con-
yratuIation that the pressure at any Time was
NOT materially reduced. This improvement was
due 70 the extension OF the works at the various
pumpng stations and the construction OF he"
rts during 1894 and ls95 together with the
sinking OF many appai'"'''
wells
"ror tho extension OF the supply system.
contract was made in 1894 for o guaranteed IN
crease of % 900 600 gallons daily from stations
IN be erected between Freeport and Massage
oua The five stations necessary for TINS sup
ulv have now been located and works are uhdef
way at the Agawan station near Freeport' ana
the Merrick and the Massapequa stations
Work will soon bc commenced on the other TWO
We expect the guaranteed daily minimum TO Dc
delivered by August next From Jamaica
Park station 100000 gallons daily are pumped
by the Pohl, air llft process. The wells here
are deem. and the supply OF water. which IS
good. seems to come from a long distance.
PIPES TO BE LAID.
"Nov as to the conveyance OF this supply
throughout the city. We propose 70 have the
construction Of line Of Gi-nch steel pipe or two
Ines Of iS-inch cast-lron pipe from the Miilburn
cngnc-housc to Spring Creek. This construc-
ton will be bid for and begun within the next
few months. Now. from Spring Creek To the
Ridgewood cngine-housc work has already been
begun on double line OF iS-inch iron pipe. The
completion - this entire line of pipe to Millburn
IL a matter ~ pressing Importance. not only for
the conveyance ~ the proposed additional supply
but for the relief OF IN" old aqueduct which
has for many years conveyed the daily supply
much in excess OF that for which it was original
ly planned.
I'm regard T. the KidgewOod pumping station
contracts have been made for its complete re-
construction including the removal Of two old
engines and the erection Of three new engines OF
20 900 900 gallons capacity each. when this work
Is completed the capacity OF the two Ridge
wood stations will be more than l2j.ooo.O0o gal
Ions daily This capacity. | may add Will be
commensurate with the conduit capacity, and
Will be sufficient for future Increases for some
During the last year. several large mains
have been put down In districts of the city
where the need was greatest.
What about work on the new mains was
asked.
contract has been made and work actively
begun on Il new iS-inch main nearly eight miles
I'm length which IL to extend directly from the
Ridgcwood reservoir through East New-York-
ave. Fort Ilamilton-aVe, and 10 the Thirtieth
Ward and the southern end of the Eighth
Wal This main Will be completed early next
summer and Will not only substantially relieve
the southern portion OF the city. but VIII I'M
prove the service OF the whole central district
by relieving II from the demands made on It's
mains by the more remote southern district.
After next summer NewUtrecht cannot com
plain OF lack Of water. We have already
made some improvements In the Thirtieth
Ward. whose system the city has acquired and
the situation has been somewhat improved; but
II bears no comparison now to what II VIII be-
40 WATER FROM THE STREAM
Regarding the purity OF the water in the
Jamaica stream from which the city formerly
obtained 100000 gallons daily. Mr. White said
that no water had been taken from that stream
during all OF last year None will be taken
until the village authorities compelled to
construct sewerage system with a discharge
outlet south ~ all the waterworks of the city.
Nov" continued Mr.. White. "to preserve the
city from any possible pollution of the Hemp
stead reservoir, ! have recommended plan
which | think will be soon carried out. 1t Is
to convey the stream from a point just below
the village Of Hampstead for a distance OF over
three miles through a 36-inch pipe. To an out
let south Of our aqueduct. rms VIII cost
$lJO.000."
TT has been suggested, Mr.. White that 1t
might be good idea t, lay separate mains IN
a large part Of the city territory using s,a
water for fire department and sprinkng needs
solely Would this be either economical or
relief To the system?'
1T would neither be economical nor suo-
ST tlntial RELIEF. The average consumption or the
Fire Department is only 2ia per cent Of the sup
ply There is no need OF dupllcat ting the mains
| It would as any one can see. be useless eS-
Iensc'