The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-06-25
NEWARK'S LUCK.
East Jerseys Blunders May
Give the City a Big
Water Surplus.
EFFECTS OF cANISTEAR RESERVOIR
Paterson in Revolt at Its Supply
Looking for Relief to the
Pequannock.
EFFECTS OF CANISTEAR RESERVOIR

tear, Sussex county, near the borders of
Pasaic county, last week, preliminary to
the construction of the new reservoir
for Newark, says the Newark Sunday
Call" The East Jersey Water Company
is doing the work, through the brothers
Gillespie, who are contractors for the
new pipe line as well. They do the work
.for what it will cost; that is. without
any specific agreement as to total ex-
pense. Three hundred men will be put
to work shortly.
The East Jersey Company has made
public no statements as to the capacity
and other details of the new reservoir,
having made enough errors in that way
in the past; but the purpose is to nave
a reservoir big enough to supply any de-
ficiency there may be in the present sup
ply of Newark. The company came to
the conclusion, as the Sunday Call'
announced, that it would have to pro-
vide more water for Newark, besides
providing more pipe line to carry it.
This reservoir is the result. The Cali
has shown in various ways in the last
four years that the water works were
not in complete fulf1llment of the East
Jerseys contract with Newark. When
Engineer Herschel confessed that the
single pip line was deficient, it was
still claimed that the reservoir storage
capacity was large enough. This the
"Calr' showed was not supported by the
company's own figures, and the measure
ments made by both the company's and
the city's engineers, DEMONSTRATED that
if the full contract quantity of fifty
million gallons a day had been drawn
from the reservoirs there would have
been a large deficiency-over three days
supply short at one time.
The East Jersey Company, in a letter
to the Sunday CALI signed by Carrot
A. Hobart, for the company, declared
chat it would fulfill the contract in every
particular, and if it constructs the new
reservoir at Canistear on proper lines,
this promise will have been carried out
SO far as storage capacity is concerned.
The new reservoir supplies the most seri-
GUS defect of the East Jersey Company's
plant on the Pequannock, excepting. of
course, the pipe lime. After arranging
the reservoirs, the area of the Oak Ridge
reservoir was found to be too small for
the water of its drainage area, while
Clinton reservoir really covers too much
space. Macopin intake reservoir is too
small. The attempt was made to make
1.-The first plan serve by drawing con-
stantly from Oak Ridge, keeping its
water always as low as feasible and
ready to receive freshets, while holding
Clinton. in reserve for long ~droughts.
This might have seemed all right, had it
not been for the phenomenal droughts
on two summers which proved that the
scheme would not operate and tha more
reservoir space in large drainage area
of Oak Ridge and northeast of it was
absolutely necessary. This the Canistear
reservoir will supply.
But q question which interests Newark
autate to carry from 60,o00,oOO to $40, 000,-
0W gallons OF water daily. With the new
Canistear reservoir It should have stor-
daily supply, and If not as much, it could
easily be increased by using the city's
recently purchased land near Macopln
intake. In other words. the plant on the
upper Pequannock, and the pipe lines
should, when finished, be equal to a daily
draft Of close upon seventy million gaf-
Ions OF water, possibly a little more.
Now, in the year 1900. when the East
Jersey. Company Is to receive 81. 500. 600
more lIOIH newark, IL is 10 turn over the
complete plant to the city-the pipe lines,
the reservoir. the land on the edge, every
where. 1t must include Canistear reser-
yoir along with the rest, because the
others are not sufficient. lit cannot divide
the water OF q reservoir, and Newark
hss no desire for a partnership with the
East Jersey Company. That company
was merely the contractor to finish certain
works. Moreover, a part of It's agreement
Of the Pequannock waters above the
Macopin intake. These waters are for
Newark: and for it alone.
such being the case, it looks as if the
obtain from the East Jersey Company q
plant winch would be equal to furnishing
Newark with about event million gaf-
Ions OF water daily, instead of only fifty
the city. paid for, but it would be the
cIty's right, and due to the mistakes
of the Company alone. The city, Of
course, wants no more than its rights,
gallons a day. while # Should not and
would not accept a single gallon less. It
must, therefore. have more. 1t looks a.
# the extra quantity would be largely
ahead of former expectations.
That the larger quantities viii be needed
soon is becoming evident. The consump-
ten of water has been as high az al
100000 gallons IN a single day. and it is
the needs of the present population. New
ark is an extravagant user of water at
All times, and 1T viii need every drop that
it can get.
better water. and as thew now get their
supply Just above the Falls, where it is
open to pollution. they have reason. II
Is reported that the local company. which
rangement with the East Jersey Company
for -Pequannock water. tapping one Of
NeWark,s mains at Little Falls.