New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-17
WATER ENOUGH TO WASTE.
THE cporoN SYSTEM EQUAL TO THAT
OF ANY CITY IN THE WORLD
poss1R1rJr1Es OF THE HoUsAToNlc IN
r-,rr,,pr rxIcENcIEs-No PRoBABL-
1rY THAT THE CITY WILL
EVER SUFFEf


1rY THAT THE CITY WILL
EVER SUFFER.
,, .,.,. ., New-York has one OF the oe''
,rater systems anywhere TO be founu
ronuIation is supplied with water OF s'ea' ~,
ord in such abundance that no c"e0N 40
- &C. ov,ravagant waste. The charge lot i''
- mounts only to a trihng sum for eaoi'
,di,tdual but this brings in an immense
r,e which is helping to pay for the MAJ '''i,1
slant and develop the system the cost %
:, e. safe 10 say, will be wiped out III '"'"''
years. ,,os.,ored au-
statistics from sources OF unques'.o"'D
-. chow that there is no ground for any
fear OF a scarcity OF water although d. '''',S
a'oh o,rrebensions have been felt The supply
e. annie for all present requirements. Inc CO.."
s.r,,ction Of the big Cornell reservoir ana 'ie
smaller reservoir at Jerome Park VIII pio''u7
Cor q reserve storage Of nearly years supply
~ .uesor+ rate OF consumption. These I'M
,,ro,.o,oents II IS expected. will be completed IN
1000 Tba new storage reservoirs, with the
huge aoueduct in process Of construction VIII
~ ao-ro,ds for wears to come When the
IT,, hos outerown these facilities. the Housa
tonic watershed adjoining the Croton could De
trcornorated in its water system and Win inns
addition the increase Of generations can ENJOY
,.,ro y.ater almost without restriction. The to'al
COS, ~ the present system from its beginning
obout 1890 10 the present has been about $50
2mOOO In Brooklyn the cost to the present
time has been about S24 100000, making SlIV'-
100000 for the two boroughs
Tho gross income from the sale Of water from
rho greater CITY at the present time would nearly
nav the interest at 3 per cent. on the net
norded debt Of the city. estimated at about
S940OO0OOO This IS remarkable showing IN
,ovor of corporate ownership. The results stand
DC monument 10 those men who q generation
ago stakea their regulations on giving the city
q rure water supply The original plans nave
loen improved and enlarged from time 10 time
until to-day the city has a water system which
,,,a,. he considered as a standard for the world
7. & estimated by one Of the highest officials OF
the Water Department that the old system, UP
n tho time that the waterworks passed into the
hands az the present AQueduct Commission. had
fully paid for itself The S3S0OO0r0 expended
under the Aqueduct Commission Will soon have
been wiped out by the revenue from the sale or
water. It would appear that, in view Of these
facts. the attempt to force the city into the
Eamapo contract at the rate OF $5OOOOOO
year for forty years for a supply from other
sources was nothing less than bold faced rob-
berry.
USE AND WASTE OF WATER
During the year 1895 the quantity OF water
distributed and consumed in the two bOroughs
Of Manhattan and The Bronx on an aver
are for the whole year 2430OOOOO gallons a
dav which is III gallons a head for popula-
ton of 100000 This shows an increase OF
100000 gallons a day and nine gallons a head
more than the daily consumption in 1891 The
consumption in 1890 was 100000 gallons and
81 gallons head.
II is safe to say that no large municipality IN
the world uses and wastes its water supply so
extravagantly as New-York, and from existing
conditions 1t is not likely that any restrictions
will be placed on the Of the water for some
time TO come
The Use Of water meters and the enforced pay
nnent for water at meter rates-in one large fac
tory IL Manhattan 5000 a year is paid for
1ater-has so far been the only practical way
Of detecting and checking waste. There are now
35442 meters in use in Manhattan and The
Bronx. attached in every place where water is
consumed IN large quantities. The considera-
ton forces itself seriously on the municipal
government and the public mind whether the
meter should 90 into private houses. especially
81 high service districts.
COST OF THE SYSTEM
The figures given below are taken from the
beginning OF the construction Of the old Croton
AQueduct, 1881 to 1872 and continued with all
construction work under the Croton Aqueduct
DEPARTMENT. to April, 1870 the Department Of
Public Works to December 81, 1897; the De
rartment Of Water Supply in 1895, and the
Aqueiuct Commissioners from 1883 to Deem
Der 81, 1895:
q (.-o-or Ff-rf Trrr and rrarr