New-York tribune., 1900-10-07
WATER SCARE OVERDONE.
WITH ECONOMY THE BOROUGH CAN
GET ALONG UNTIL SUPPLY
Is INCREASED

The residents Of Brooklyn have been kept in a
ferment about their water supply largely because
of the conduct Of the engineers Office. The condi-
tons have been and are bad, but there is a dispos-
ton apparently to make them appear worse in a
series Of mantfestOes and alleged economies that
amount to little. Cutting OFF OF the public
schools during vacation farce. Wherever the
water was turned off by the agents Of the Depart
ment Of Water Supply 1t turned again al
most Immediately by the employees of the Board Of
Education The saving by the transaction was IN
appreciable The order discontinue street sprink
ling never was effective. The drives of the Park
sprinkllng carts were work as usual The street
cleaners drew water from the hydrants just as if
A week ago, when one of the great distributing
mains mans vas ciosed with an Official drum beating
water famine people began TO be really afraid but
great parucuarity did not follow
The amount of water stored in the distributing
too small for safety There is no margin for enler
system, beyond MiIburn, only little more than
half can be drawn into the city for want OF sum
compelled the Department TO draw from the Hemp
sf9ao storage reservoir, the Hampstead and Rock
within the city limits least twenty-five million
The "a ''liEilI oIItrWlSe nave come from
its five driven well stations
me store in the Hampstead storage reservoir
ana Hempstead pond has not been equal to the
pactT Sero1 i ana ana the lack OF conduit ca
] OF tne additional supply needed from the newer
9'elII III d rev WOrQS, there is conduit CAPACITY
"here there is no water and water where there is
no conduit capacity. The added drain on the old
sources OF supply has depleted them while the
newer sources have not been taxed at any time to
their full capacity. The Springfield and Baislev
ponds, OF the old system have not furnished any
water, on account of their admitted pollution.
The effect on the old Hampstead storage reservoir
mas been startling both TO the authorities and to
residents in its vicinity who view with alarm the
low stage Of its waters. The gauge of this reser-
Totr, far the largest in the whole BROOKLYN system
being over two miles long. showed feet Inches
from August TO August 9. The level has since
been slowly reduced under draught greater than
should have been required from that source The
low stage IS painfully apparent in the marks the
dam and the sandy shore in the Illustration. The
Hampstead pond and the two natural ponds that
supply the reservoir at Rockville Centre are still
lower. The low level Of the water in the Hemp
stead storage reservoir. however, amounts only 10
a difference in pressure and consequent velocity OF
the aqueduct stream while there is water enough
TO I'LL the conduit. Barring the gain from these
factors. it supplies as much when partly full as
when wasting over its weir into the old Hampstead
pond below; hence the urgent need Of greater aque-
duct capacity from the new system. where there is
more water than can be brought 10 Spring Creek
by the present 4S-inch connection. If this water
available. the drain the old storage reser-
vOir could be diminished 10 an extent that would
give il opportunity TO regain its store from the
fall and winter rains. The present shortage is a