The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-04-08
CITY'S WASTE OF WATER.
NEW YORK NOW THROWS AWAY HALF
or WHaT ~ SUPPLIED TO II.

Engineer freeman Makes n Suggestive
Compilation Of Recent Reports On tho
Water Question sources of supply and
Means Of Curtaiiing Waste Considered.
John Il Freeman. the wcll-known hydraulic
engineer. has compiled for Com ptroller Coler q
diges. Of the various reports on the city's water
supply. prepared since last August. In which
tn" present needs OF the community. Its future
Dpcessities. and the best manner OF supplying
them are set forth. The report covers the
sources OF supply. their adequacy. the amount
OF waste and the extent to which II 10 practical
to prevent II. the sources from which additional
supply may be obtained. the question OF fire
protection. and the advantages and disadvan-
tages Of tho Esopus Creek sources proposed BY
the Ramapo company.
Mr.. Freeman says that tho Croton watershed.
supplem Oh ted as now by The Bronx and Byram
watersheds, can furnish a safe and ample sup
ply for Manhattan and The Bronx for four or
five years to come. and that In that time add.
tional works can be constructed. Construction
Of additional works should be begun. he SAYS.
within a year. He adds that. although half the
water delivered by the aqueduct Ia wasted. the
total per ca pita consumption In New York and
Brooklyn Is smaller than In Boston. Philadel-
phia. Washington. Buffalo. Albany. Pittsburg.
Chicago. Cleveland. Detroit. Denver and
certain other American cities. and that the
hope OF restricting waste does not Justify delay
In making sure OF an adequate additional sup
ply. The safe limit Of the present system will
be reached in ive years. Mr.. Freeman believes.
Mr.. Freeman shows that the average rainfall
annually in the Croton watershed has been
47.s3 inches. and the average run of 22,93
inches. This is 10 per cent. less than the AQue-
duct Commissioner reports give. The safe
yield Of the Bronx aud Byram wetersheds Nj.
Freeman pl aces at 10, 900 . or II, ZOO. 900 gal
Ions, instead Of 20,0O0.00O. as 1t IL commonly
reported. The safety OF the city. Mr.. Freeman
two years viii not be a~bnormaly dry, and that
the water shall be perfectly, safeguarded. Mr.;
Freema an says that It would be, an act beyond
again as We re- taken last fall. when on Nov. 10
there was no water for the city except a littlein
the Contra. Park reservoirs and the natural
OF the water that comes thro ugh the mains.
Mr.. Freeman says that 10 lS@9 the average per
capita consumption was ll8 gallons. OF which
waste, lie thinks that With a meter on every
tap and a thorough overhaulinR OF al, the
mains a better service could be maintained on
a per capita consumption OF fity-slx gallons
daily. He says. however. that the real obsta.
cles to saving water are grounded In human
Nj: Freeman made observations for ten days
on the water supply at the Central Park reser-
voirs. Four Observers. work ing In twelve-hour
shifts. measured the depth OF water In the
Central Park distributing reservoirs once
every six minutes. The delivery OF water was
carefully held at q constant quantity. The
CONSUMPTION reached its maximum at 10
O'Clock A. M, dropped OH from II to l o'clock
I, NJ rose slightly az $50 o'clock and fell on
after 10 o'clock and reached its minimum at
3 o'clock or O'Clock In the morning.
But the rate Of consumption at the minimum
was so gallons per capita per day. and
the figures remained remarkably uniform
H. roughout the period OF observation. Mr..
Freeman figures that. deducting metered flow
for that for manufacturing and commercial
| purposes. and the probable waste. only y gal.
Ions per inhabltant are left OF the llo Of alue.
duct flow for real domestic use. The domestic
meter readings In Fall River in 1921 showed
an average domestic use OF H. gallons a day.
Much OF the waste 10 due 10 leaks In pipes
and faulty plum bling. He recommends the d-
vision Of the city into service districts for the
discovery % loss from leaks, the meterinR OF
all houses by the city, the laying OF service
pines by the city.
The probable future needs Of the city are set
forth III this table by Mr.. Freeman: