New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-22
THE FUTURE WATER SUPPLY FOR THIS CITY.
WATERSHEDS WHENCE 1T MAY BE OBTAINED, AND
COMPARISONS OF COST

Where viii this city look for more water? The
Saith bill. witch Governor Odeu signed the other
day, prevents the metropolis from utilizing the
watersheds OF Duchess County 10 tho north OF the
croton Valley. The city has also been shut out OF
grsoiH County Long island. Some months ago the
Corporation Counsel delivered the opinion that
New-york should 10. seek the watersheds or other
States for fear Of Interstate complications. injunc-
tons and lawsuits. Consequently the cry IS Ce-
barred from obtaining water from the nearby
watersheds Of Connecticut and NovT-Jersey. What.
therefore. IS LETT
At .,s crescent time the city consumes about one
hundred gallons q day for each inhabitant Because
the CITY Increases 10 population about per cent
eaeA yea- = demands an annual increase IN us
daily eupnlv OF nearly 100000 gallons Manhattan
are The Bronx whlcE are almost wholly dependent
OF the Cro.oa watershed. will reach the danger line
w.tain two yes-s commission appointed by
MAYOR Low to investigate the sources of an add
tionGl water sapnjy reported that year or two
Of dry weather would bring suffering. The de-
rnands OF Brooklyn Borough" said the commission
ers have already exceeded the present supply
snd Tire additional works which are being con-
s.-uctee viii give email relief The needs OF the
Isoro-gh oS Queens probably more Immediately
pressing than those Of any other part OF the city.
The borough Of Richmond IS also in need Of an i'm
proved supply which It is not practicable TO obtain
within its limits"
Accordingly the commission recommended that
Immediate surveys be made for a water system
which would more than double the present one
ana ada 600 gallons day TO the city supply
such a plan. said the commission should be begun
now. and should be IN fun working o'uer "'l'4'N
the next twenty-five years
with the exclusion OF the watersheds OF New
Jersey Connecticut and Suffolk ana Outchess
counties the only available regions when remain
lie TO the west and north Of the HUDSON fNNeI'
These are three great districts. any one or which
,o,,l6 ,ncresse the citys water supply sufficiently
.o- wears 70 come but which. because or their as
.ance from the city would involve tremendous eN-
nensa They have been called the southern the
central and the northern regions ana each Oh 'iei
includes several contiguous watersheds
Nearest ara most convenient OF all. is the SOUTH
crn region. near the Jersey line. which incInoes
the notorious Ramapo watershed. ana WHICH en-
braces all told 7e5 square miles. or little more man
twice the size OF the Croton "eueI sNeN-
Rsrapo region is nearer New-Xork than any OF
she rest and contains 1is square miles ohe OF
the chief arguments Of those who opposed the
Smith bin that It would leave 'he 'iFopetE
az the Ranlapo Water Company as 'hs Hios'
available for the city's use
ssso,-,rr the Ramapo district 10 the north are
she watersheds Of Popolopen and Moodna- VIII
areas Of IS square miles and lSi square I4leS' t
,necrivelv and TO the west the Waikiki ano
shawangunk XIII watersheds. the former o0ii'Aii4
.nR All and the latter 81 square miles
According 20 John r. Freeman, who investigated
all the watersheds Of the State available for New
York City at the direction OF Bird ). CoieF' "heh
,be latter Vas Controller. the Ramspo River COM
hined the MahWah, al q COSA "a N'''''s'SSS'
-vo,ld he eapable Of delivering 10 the city e50ooo
gallons a day at a head of 800 feet MT freeman
naded however that he feared interstate comphca-
lions IN the Ranapo watershed. as great num-
her of important Industries dependent on the
rRarapo River after 81 flows south into New-Jer-
sew The Popolopen watershed alone said MT
Freeman could furnish about 100000 gallons
CAV the Noodna. 100000 gallons. the WAIKIKI
s15OoNooo and the Shawangunk Kill wnich Is
9srthest away So cDo gallons. He also says that
SWAT
and neat bog which would tend TO poHute the
wafer and concluded, such examination IS
have made on the Waikiki gives me very small en-
colragenert OF this becoming an aVallaole
source Of water supply for New-York city
The boundary Of the Ramapo district nearest 10
this city is twenty-five miles from City Han. ana
the farthest limit Of the Shawangunk watershed is
about seventy miles away. that the whole
eouthern group. If swung around and laid IN tho
Hudson Valley would extend from Osslning al
most 10 Poughkeepsie All Of its watersheds woulo
add 5s5 100000 gallons 10 the daily supply OF the
city thus increasing 81 OBS 100000 IN the south
ern group are the city Of Middletown and the VII
lagos Of Goshen. Chester. Tuxedo. Florida, Rama
20 and suffern.
The following table prepared BY MI Freeman
shows the various watersheds Of the southern
group the points which their rivers would
be diverted, their daily yield, and their distance
from the city limits at Jerome Park: