New-York tribune., 1905-12-25
III 1DFIsED WATER PLANS.

GO forth my son. said Oxensderna "and
"see with how little wisdom the world is gov
"ernel." Let US for moment note with how
little Judgment the matured plans OF thought
full engineers are waved aside and offhand but
cocksure suggestions made OF other solu-
tionS of the great problem of New-YoTk's water
supply.
A correspondent urges, for example, that IN
stead of taking water from the Catskills. at
cost of "desolating' that interesting region. we
shall take il from Oneida Lake But we cannot
perceive any less hardship IN 'desOlating Os-
wego Oneida and OnOndaga than Greene and
Ulster counties and if any one suppOses New
York could draw half million gallons a day
from Oneida Lake without considerable dis
turbance of the pOpulOus communities on and
near its shores. which pour their sewage into
its water he makes a big mistake Moreover
the low level of Oneida Lake would make it
necessary for every drop of the water taken TO
he pumped to an elevation Of two or three
hundred feet-somethng New-York should not
do and will not do so long as it can get a sup
ply. like that from the Catskills which will not
need pumping.
Again. it is said the city will OutgrOw the
CatskilI supply in twenty or twenty-five years.
That may be. If so. however, the city will
have TO keep on growing fast as it has grown
in the last twenty-five years. which it may or
quite double the present supply and will there
fore be sufficient for city twice as big as New
York now is-a city. that is TO say, of
100000 people We must regard the provision
of ample water for such community as work
of no insignificant magnitude On the contrary,
it is great enough TO suffice for one generation
Doubtless in time some further extension will
be needed but that can properly be left TO the
next generation to achieve. If this city in the
next five years can secure cheap, pure and
plentiful supply of water for twenty years
thereafter, it will do for itself an uncommOnly
good piece of work.
The question of reducing the citys cOnsump-
ton of water is also raised. and the belief is
expressed that New -Yorks might be
brought down to about the same amount as
that of other great cities, in which the actual
use-not abuse-of water is as free as here,
and in some respects really freer than here.
We are now getting rid, in one way or an
other, of about 125 gallons day for each in
habitant. Twenty years ago we consumed-or
wasted-less than half much. Chicago con-
sumeS great deal more than New-YOr So /
does Philadelphia Boston uses about the same
quantity that we do. New-Orleans uses only
about one-third as much As for foreign cities. /
London and Liverpool get along on less than
fifty gallons day, and Paris, with its daily !
flushing of streets. its numerous fountains and
other free uses of water consumes less than
sixty gallons or less than half much New
York. We have a strong feeling, frequently /
expressed that by a proper system of meter .
ing and stoppage Of leaks through defective
mains, etc. the consumption of water in New
York could be materially reduced without in /
the least stinting actual use of it.
That, however. is probematic. It would be (
criminal folly to neglect the work of increas /
ing the supply in the hope of so reduc
ing consumption to make the present sup (
ply sufficient New-York will never submit /
to having it's use Of water arbitrarily stinted /
Moreover, the enormous transient population of /
the city, the myriads of visitors who pour into /
it every day, make the apparent consumption /
of water per capita of the real population much /
greater than the actual 1t is not only for its /
permanent residents and established industries /
that New-York wants water, but also for the |
innumerable company of strangers within its |
gates. The use of NETWORKS supply by the |
people of the whole country gives the city
special title to get water from within the
limits of other communities, and stamps as
particularly unwise and unjust any attempts /
to hamper its efforts and to make it appear TO |
be moved only by selfish greed.
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