The San Francisco call., 1898-04-27
V ATER WILL
 BE SCARCE Not Such a Big Stock as Was Generally Be-
 ieved. A Resolution That Comes as a Surprise to the Water
 Users. J. w. T. Watkinson Says That There Is Absolutely a Water
 Famine.
Oakland Office San Francisco Call.

5OS BroadWay, April 26. 6 'In view of the fact that the q e present season is the driest experi- q e enced in many years in Alameda C 6 County, and may be followed by 6 e another of like kind, and realizing 6 Q that the water now wasted in the q 2 gutters and in other ways is need 6 @ less and should be saved for possi- C 6 ble future requirements, and be- 6 Q lieving that, with care, an abun- 6 Q dant supply could be reserved for a 2 e possible long drought, which would z 6 be of great benefit to the city of %> 2 Oakland and promote it's prosper z g ity, now, therefore, be it 6 e Resolved, That all water con- G Q sumers be and they are hereby re- e q quested to take all necessary pre- 6 Q cautions to prevent waste by re- 6 Q pairing defective plumbing, etc., q Q and by using only a reasonable 6 q amount of water for irrigation and 6 e other purposes" 6
 The above resolution was introduced at the City Council meeting last evening, and caused some surprise. Although this year has been unusually dry, Oaklanders have been relying on the statement of the two water companies, and felt secure against any possible lack of water. That such a scarcity may occur is shown to be probable by the resolutIou introduced by MT. Pringle.
 Throughout the contest between the water companies, each has reiterated the statement that It Is entirely capable of supplying the whole town with all the water it could possibly use. Each com about half the town, and yet a drought is predicted.
 MT. Dingee of the Oakland Water Com pany several days ago said that the scar city of rain will have no effect whatever on the amount of water his company can furnish. He said that the wells were that a dry season has no effect upon them. When questioned this afternoon, MT. Dingee said he preferred not to be quoted on the matter, further than to say that the resolution is not introduced at the request of his company
 J. H. T. Watkinson of the Contra Costa Company furnished The Call with the following condition of the water supply of the State, compiled from ample in qqiry; qy
 tinuouS drying winds of moisture afforded by the light showers that have fallen, causing this season to ue the uriest on record in Alameda County and generally dry seasons come together and wet sea- sons follow each other.
 By reason of the lawns surrounding most of the houses in Oakland a larger per capita supply of water than con sumed in any other city is required, and life waste.
 :, An abundant supply of water at the latter end or protracted drought will add to the prosperity of Oakland and maintain an efficient fire protection which many cities in California at such time Wal not possess. Each individual water consumer who takes interest in the welfare of Oakland should prevent waste on his own premises and also discourage his neighbor from so doing.
 One city has the low per capita con- sumption of eighteen gallons Many man. ufacturing cities come below thirty-five gallons, but Oakland. mere there is no 19S gallons. There is every confidence in Oakland being furnished with an abun- dant supply still it is not known how long this drought will last. By calling the consumers attention to the necessity of abating waste now it may obvate the necessity of enforcing obnoxious re- straints hereafter, when it might possibly be necessary.
 Oakland is more abundantly supplied than almost any city in the United States and that supply can be relied upon during a long dought if reasonable care is taken.
 The farmers in the vicinity of our neighboring city of San Jose are surrep- titiously depriving the county of all the water that has been used for sprinkling streets, the condition of their orchards from drought being so desperate that they take the water from the pipes at night.
 Tulare Lake, deriving its sources from the snow regions of the mountains, is now lower than during any preceding drought. Lake Tahoe thirty-two miles long, has been thirty feet below its normal level. From the Mexican line to within some fifty miles south of Oakland the country resembles the Mojave Desert. In this district a person can cross the large rivers without wetting his feet. There is absolutely water famine. Under these conditions Oakland is fortunate in possessing an adequate supply for all anticipated future necessities, but fore warned is forearmed," and the water now being wasted might possibly in the dis tant future be available for some useful purposes.
 In Washington, D. C.. where they have heavy rains nearly every month in the year, the waste has been so excessive that the water department has authorized the expenditure of $1,000 900 for meters to restrict the waste.
 Under ordinary circumstances in Cali fornIa where we have six months without any rain, and sometimes thirty-six months with but very scanty rainfall wa ter Is a scarce commodity, and under all circumstances should be husbanded with care, and in case of a drought indulgence in waste seems nothing short of crime.