The San Francisco call., 1901-12-19
THE REAL WATER PROBLEM.

n AN FRANCISCO emerges from the con-
troversy over the of Point Lobos Creek
- a source of water supply only to confront
more important problem. 1t is fairly certain the
Spring Valley Water Company resorted to that creek
mainly because it could obtain from its other
sources of supply quantity of water adequate to the
demand at all seasons of the year. The real ques-
ton before the city, therefore, is of prevent
ing the use of water drawn from contaminated water
sheds, but of providing source of water supply
which shall be not only pure but abundant.
The Spring Valley Water Company has evidently
reached the limit of its present resources The water
taken from Point Lobos Greek has been condemned,
and it will be but comparatively short time when
the supply drawn from Lake Merced must be
demned aso for the settlement of the population is
extending in that direction. In fact it is only
question of time when part of the peninsula will
be free enough from human habtation and the re-
sung refuse for its springs and streams to furnish
water fit for household purposes.
Even, however, there question of the pur-
ty of the waters of Lobos Creek OF of Lake Merced
there would still remain the important fact that the
whole supply of the Spring Valley Company is in
adequate the needs of the increasing population of
the city We do not feel with any acuteness the need
of more water just now, but we would be foolish
should postpone any steps toward obtaining
larger supply until the need is felt acutely water
system for city of the size of San Francisco is not
to be provided in a, day nor in year. If make
no move to obtain abundant water until actually
require the water for daily needs we shall have
long period of suffering in many ways accompanied
by municipal stagnation
One of the noted features of the development of
modern civilization has been the increased use Of
water by individuals, by families and by communities
whole Cities that have not abundant, pure
and cheap water supply soon become noted and are
summed Nothing is attractive to the home
seeker and to the settler than the that the
water supply of the community in which he thinks of
settling is at once heathful and ample There are
cities which much of their success to the fact
that they have such ample supplies and there
are others whose ill-success is due to the lack of
them. We are therefore confronting an issue which
even at this time is OF prime Importance, notwith-
standing the fact that it is not felt as matter of
urgency by the general mass of the people
1t is right and fitting the proper authorities should
to it that impure water is served to any por
ton of the city, and that water rates be not exces
sive, but the less those things must now be re-
garded as minor matters in the problem. We should
at once dismiss far possible all the old conten-
tions between the city and the Spring Valley Com
pany and go forward to the new work that awaits
us-that OF providing the community with source
of water supply far larger better and more certain
at all seasons than the Spring Valley Company can
furnish.
With the extension of electric roads the whole
southern sweep of San Francisco Bay will be girdled
by continuous suburban settlement having San
Francisco and Oakland for its extremtes and San
Jose as its central point There will then be de-
mand for water supply throughout the whole of
-
mand for water will be enormous when measured
by the present demand For that supply we must be-
gin to prepare now If it be undertaken in time it
be carried out economically after we'll devised
plan. If We wait until the actual urgency come we
shall have unavoidable waste of money. That
then is the chief and prime point in all water ques
tions that arise in San Francisco. We must prepare
for the future