New-York tribune., 1900-01-03

MILLIONS OF GALLONS LOST IN LEAKAGE-oPIx-
IONS OF EMINENT ENGINEERS.

IONS OF EMINENT ENGINEERS
To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: The apparent eagerness OF every one who
has, has had. official connection with the cfty's
water supply 70 conceal from public notice the
fact that the greatest item of Croton waste is main
leakage is difficult understand The fact Is per-
fectly well known TO every engineer to every Of
hcal Of Intelligence. and hundreds OF thou
sands Of citizens Of good general information but
It is guarded iealously as a State secret. That
it Is a matter concerning which every expert in
the citys employ considers # his duty 'perjure
himself like gentleman would seem 10 be ind-
Gated by the fact that when examined under oath
they neither tell the truth the whole truth but
give US anything but the truth. In the exanlna-
ton Of witnesses called by the Mazet Committee
Mr.. Moss tried very hard to get at the facts but
the nearest ne came to IL the statement mada
by well known engineer the effect that while
he did not know how much water lost in dis
tributon, he did not think II could be much. That
he did not know how great our main leakage is
may be assumed be true but I venture TO say
that he would have a very low opinion OF the in
tellgence Of any who should risk the assertion
that K IS less than 80 per cent Of all the water
brought within the city limits.
IF New-York the only city Of the world IN
which the leakage Of in distribution material
" exceeds the quantity delivered the foundation
walls Of consumers houses there might be reason
for the discreet silence which all who know the
facts maintain concerning them. IN the voIunInogs
discussior IF the Ramapo scheme do not remem-
Der TO la any mention OF main leakage as
accounting -or the fact that water enough for the
use and waste Of population OF nearly millions
IS found insufficient for the daily requirements Of
population of about two millions. or the pres
ent daily waste Of 5000 600 gallons day doubt
less correctly estimated by Columbus o. Johnson
ex-Water Register. II IS quite safe say very
little Of it, relatively passes through fixtures and
waste pipes Of buildings. His experiments in the
house Of General Coils. while interesting and
strUctive tend 10 establish the well known fact
that no city ancient or modern. has ever averaged
a daily water consumption OF twenty-five gallons
per capita. all wasteful use included There
never period IN the history Of New-York when.
had every service pipe been metered and every drop
used or wasted been accounted for. the total
sumption would have come anywhere near thirty
gallons per head day Average experience in
metered British cities where all the water drawn
for private public use is accounted for 20 the
last pint. shows that the relation OF main leakage
to and together is about 66 2-3 per cent
10 SO I-3 per cent In American waterworks prac-
tce the average Of main leakage IS even greater
in proportion TO the quantity drawn from them IN
some instances representing much 70 per cent
These facts not secrets. Many engineers OF
much larger reputation than any in the employ
of New-Yorz have recorded them very plain Ian
guage and established them by indisputable proofs
George F. Deacon. g E. whose work in Liverpool
/ is nenora bic has told the Sanitary Institute Of
Great Britain, n a presidential address that his
experience has shown him that. on the average.
considerably water leaks from pipes joints
and fittings than is made OF wasted by the
consumer. William Hope, c. E, in a paper con
tribued the transactions of the British
ton OF Civil Engineers. says:
The fact that a large portion Of the whole
quantity Of water in most public supplies is wasted
without the knowledge of the water authorities
pears to be difHcuIt TO conceive Even now
a majority OF the water undertakings of this
Try lose by leakage one-haf the total quantity OF
supplied from the source The proportion Is
often higher. and rises in many cases to three
! fourths. more: while in comparatively
countries. such as America, Australia and New
Zealand. the proportion so lost Is still greater
or large sized underground leaks discharg-
ing through self-made channels into sewers and
drains previously unknown examples are now fire.
quently discovered by the waste water meter sys-
SIZE even up TO constantly flowing quantities suf-
fcient for the supply OF two thousand TO three
thousand houses
this subject is compiled IN q report BY the City
Club Of New-York on Recent Administration of
the Department OF Public Works" printed in
September. 1897
Properly conserved the present water supply Of
New-York is ample for the use and waste Of more
than three times our present population The
easily accessible facts which warrant this state
ment have not thus far been presented the pub
lie in such shape that they are understood and
appreciated. Have they come the attention OF
the public spirited citizens who are investigating
the necessity for the Ramapo contract? The late
Colonel George E Warfng jr summed up the
whole matter in the following breezy. but very
eurate, statement:
-rv The ~ EeIca Sieve o. sis sFg e ersS %steF g
al the source. and dribbfes away ar a thousand
ems he head until where water aowing through
tight pipes would reach top floors It
with iittle force at the ground line. Waterw0rks
are not constructed for the sub-irrtgasion OF the
Srsas,1a m f1nctton' whatever else NAV happe @ tb
Underground lea akage may be depended twenty
II may also be depended to increase time
goes on and the demand for water grows Under
ground leaks rarely ciese up with They grow
| larger, rather than sn!aler, and Y more mead is