The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-11
Mayor Receives Conflicting
Reports Upon Our
Future Water Needs.
CROES, Herring AND FETELEY'S VIEWS
Final Action on the Present
Bids Will be Taken
Tuesday.

news a lew days ago, mayor Hoos ia
asked expert disinterested engineers thei
opinions about how much water Jerse
City will require twenty-five years henc'
Since the Mayor put his foot, or fes
down on the acceptance of a 70,000,00 ga
lon plant which would lave cost $1,000
COO. His Honor has been somewhat VOL
ried. He studied the table of prospes
tive consumption prepared by Enginee
yermeule. and thinking he had made a
error in committing himself so early !
the. proceedings, he submitted the Yer
meule table to Engineers Croes, Herinl
n Fteley and requested them to Civ
him their views.
Mr.. Eteley a this to say
In your note of May 27, you ask me
on the present rate of consumption, I
would deem it advisable TO make a
contract for a SO million gallon per
day supply or one of 20 million gallons
per day. both being for a period OF
twenty-five years. If the consumption
of OF city was kept within reason
able bounds, a supply of 50 million gal
Ions per day would be sufficient al the
end of twenty-five years. At the rate
of increase indicated in your tables,
however, it is plain that a supply OF 20
million gallons would be wanted at
the enc citJHe AFORESAID TIME.
The best solution of the question
would be to select such a source of
supply as would ultimately be suf1i-
Client to furnish the larger amount re-
ouired, and to SO design the works for
the storage and conveyance of water
as to make them, as much as possible,
susceptible of gradual increase when
ever the needs of the city require it.
J. James R. Croes writes
In reply to your letter of May. q.
induiring whether It would be advisa.
Bile to make provision in a contract
for the supply of water to Jersey City
fer Is years. for a daily consumption
of 80 million gallons or of 10 million
in my opinion. based upon the growth
OF. consumption in Jersey City during
the last seventeen years. and also
upon the experience of other cities,
the contractor should be capable of
furnishing at least 20 million gallons
a day during a dry year and the works
first constructed should have a capac-
fly. Of supply of at least So million gall
Ions q day and be capable of prog
ressive enlargement up to a capacity
of ~ million gallons a day.
Rudolph Henrig's answer was as fol
3ows;-
Yoa have sent me. under date of
yesterday. a brief note: asking my
opinion whether l would deem it adj
visabie to make a contract for a fifty
million-gallon per day supply or for
a seventy-million-gallon per day sup
ply, both. being for a period of twenty
1--WE years. In addition. you enclosed
a table showing the water consump-
ton in1Jersey City from the year 1880
to 1897, inclusive, giving the all ay,
erage per year. and the least as well
as the greatest daily average per
month. Now you have added a
table based on the supposition that
the increase of water consumption
will continue to be in the future what
1t has been in the past. From the
latter table it appears that in twenty
five years the daily average consump-
ton will be about A.e0o. 900 gallons, the
least daily average per month $780,
erage per month 70. 900. 600 gallons.
If the data sent me are correct. and
IL the increase in the future at the
same rate as in the past. then your
question answers itself in this way:
That Jersey City will require at least
20, 900, 900 gallons per day in twenty
five years. 1t would, of course, not
require that amount until near the
end of the period. # 1t is proposed 70
reduce the consumption per capita by
the extensive Introduction of meters,
then the supply required In tWentv-
five years could be kept below ~ milf
ion gallons per day in the proportion
to which the meters would be success
full in accomplishing their object
We are at present not able to predict
what the future consumption IN our
cities will be, unless we base 1t on the
past increase of consumption and past
increase of population. Two factors
are beginning to disturb such a method
of production. One is the den TO
reduc the unnecessary waste of water
BY the introduction of meters. The
other-is to increase the consumption
by putting the water supply of a city
to more uses, for instance. as power
and for more industries. It is there
fore difficult to prognosticate with any
high degree of exactness, and under
these circumstances we consider it
prudent to make as liberal a provision
for the future as practicable, as 1t Is
easier to deal with a surplus than a
deficiency.
The table Of consumption prepared b.
Mr.. vermeule showed that the city on (
4 per cent. increase for the next twenty
i've years would require IA, zoo. 900 gaIloni
a day. Immediately after the Mayor hat
received Mr.. yermeule's estimate, Engi
neer Ferris prepared one on which h
said "he would stake his reputation.
Mr.. Ferris estimate showed that the cit,
consumption IN 1923 would not be NOR
A.C0D.000 gallons a day. The Mayo
accepted Engineer vermeule's figures a
being near correct than those of Mr.
Ferris. The letters the Mayor has re
ceived will be submitted to the Stree
and Water and Finance Commissioner
for consideration. The Mayor announces
This morning that he was of the opinion
that a plant of 5o.0oo,0o 0 gallons daily ca
pacity was all that the city would requir'
twenty-five years from now He also be
1f4ves that a plant capable of delivering
than 5o,000,00o gallons a day at pres
ent will give the city an adequate supply
Street and Water Commissioner Bolt
had a long talk with His Homo
again this morning. Mr.. Boltwood is no
for the Rockaway and Hudson plan. H
says 1t Is the Boards duty to accept tina
proposftIon or ~readvertise for proposals
The Rockaway and Hudson company i
not well thought of by h Commissioner
and the Mayors faith in 1t has beel
shaken by recent Developments.
Tuesday evening the Street and Waite
and Finance Boards will have a confer
ence. 1t VIII be the final one as definit'
action Is to be taken by the Street am
Water Commissioners, at thei meeting
Wednesday afternoon. The Indication
are that the plan of P. H. Flynn, wFlicl
Il capable OF delivering 100000 gallons
win be accepted. The plant cost
So. 5.0O0 II the Flynn plan is accepted
ii viii be by the votes of Messrs. Hauch
Nolan ana Smith, In the Street and Waite
Board, n Messrs. Heppenheimer, Baale'
Mfdlfge in the Finance Board.
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