New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-05
WATER WASTE AND SUPPLY.
lie empire.

WATER WASTE AND SUPPLY.
The question is occa sionally asked. with sim
cerity and good intent, why New-Iork seeks
an extension of its water supply system Ut
the enormous cost Of $16O,OOO,OOO or more "hen
it already has a plentiful supply ana neeos
only TO stop wanton waste TO reailZe lhat iacl
for some years TO come. we are giau 10 nnee'
that question, since The Tribune mas not only
been foremost in advocating immediate and ex-
tensive enlargement OF the water supply out
also has taken the lead in urging the stop
page of leaks and the prevention or waste
through improvements In the machinery or dis
tribution and through the more general intro
duction of water meters. We have frequently
expressed the belief, and have given convinc-
ing grounds for it, that the wanton and pre-
ventable waste of water in this city amounts to
tens and perhaps scores of millions or gallons
a day-we mean not water that is too freely
used but water that is not used at all, since II
escapes from broken mains leaky plumbing
or from taps that because OF disrepair or care
lessness or laziness are never closed 1t is
most discreditable and reprehensible thing that
there should be such waste, and we urge and
should hail with profound satisfaction some
method OF stopping it, such as many other cities
have successfully employed.
Nevertheless, if all the preventable waste were
thus prevented, we should regard tho prompt
That is because the city is growing so fast
and its legitimate and needful use of water Is
increasing rapidly that, even with all waste
stopped, the present supply would become in
sufficient in a few years, and 1t would take
number of years TO secure a new supply from
the nearest and most available source.
At present in round numbers the city has 4.OO0,-
600 population. and consumes either through
use or waste 100000 gallons OF water a
DIV Hhof IL aotfoo IIxy
all It's available supply. There is no reserve
in the Croton region on Long Island greater
than there needs to be for the merest margin
of safety. A protracted drOuth would cause
an unpleasant scarcity. Now, it is reckoned
that from Is per cent TO % per cent is lost
through preventable waste. Let lis adopt the
larger figure, and reckon that 1OO.O0O,00O gal
Ions a day could be saved and the city could
get along on only 3000OO0OO we'll as 1t now
does on 400,00O,OO0 gallons day. That amount
OF wafer saved and stored would easily free
us from danger of famine through drouth for
a few years But it would not he long before
the natural growth OF the city and the legiti-
mate Increase in the per capita of water
for such increase is inevitably attendant upon
progress in cvizatiOn-used up that surplus
and brought us to the end of our resources
We must remember that the population of New
York has doubled in twenty five years. and
time. IT, then. we saved that 1O0,00O0OO gal
Ions day which is now lost through preventa-
BILE waste and reduced the consumption from
100 to only rs gallons per capita daily, within
nine years the margin thus saved would he
exhausted, and we should stand In urgent need
Of immediate increase of supply.
Nine years IA not too long a time TO look
ahead and to begin preparations for the great
needs which will then be upon us. We have
10 complete the latest extension of the Croton
supply In order to realize how long it NAV take
to get a new supply from some far less &C
cessible source. The new Croton Dam has
taken nearly fourteen years 10 build and IL
is not done yet The new aQueduCt took seven
years to build. Now, let us grant that both of
those works should have been done as we
believe they could have been done in six years
That aqueduct is only forty miles long and
the flow is entirely by gravity, without pump
ing or filtration. The nearest possible source
for additional supply is in Duchess County
more than sixty miles away. If we go to the
Catskills, the distance is ninety miles OBJ
viOusly it would take the best part of nine
years to complete dams and an aQueduct TO
either Of those sources. even If there were none
of the delays that marked the Croton work and
the possibility of which, especially In DubIic
works is never n safely negligible factor. If
by means OF the mallgn legislation now enacted
and further proposed the city should be com
PEELED TO go TO the Upper Hudson TO Oneida
Lake or 10 the Great Lakes for a supply, the
! length OF aqueduct would be increased to hun
dreds OF miles, and there would be, In addition.
the need of constructing pumping works to
lift every drop of the water some hundreds
of feet How many years, according to the
rule Of three applied 10 the Croton lob would
such an undertaking require?
We believe much water IS wasted. We urge
the stoppage of all preventable waste at the
earliest possible moment, but we are convinced
that even when this is done there will he
urgent need for vast extension OF our water
supply. And that need will be acuteIv felt
by the time when, with all possible expedition.
IT be supplied.