, 1906-03-29
1888 GALLONS
PER CAPITA
TREMENDOUS CONSUMPTION OF
WATER IN GREATER NEW
YORK SUBJECT LETTER.
Secretary of Citizens Union of New
York Bureau of City 5etterment
Discusses Uses of Water and Meth
DDS to Prevent Wastage, Which is
Large Item.

Henry Bruere, secretary of the Citi
zens' Union of New York Bureau of
City Betterment, writes as follows to
the New York World concerning the
supply, the daily consumption and the
average consumption in that city:
Secretary's Letter.
The chief engineer Of the water de-
lpartment of New York City says that
the per diem consumption of water in
Manhattan and the Bronx in 1905 was,
on an average, 800, 900, 900 gallons, or
about 1873 gallons each day foc each in
habitant of these boToughs. In the same
year BrookIyn's daily consumption Of
water was 126,112,OOO gallons. or, on
an average, 91.3 gallons for each man,
woman and child.
Some Use More Than Others.
This does not mean that each man,
woman and child in Manhattan and the
Bronx actually used four barrels of
water every day in the year, or that
everybody in Brooklyn used, on an av-
erage, three barrels a day. 1t means,
only, that this vast quantity of water
entered the city's mains from streams,
reservoirs and wells.
Bulk of the Consumption.
A large part of this supply Is consum-
ed by the various city departments,no
ably the fire department. Tie street
cleaning department in flushing asphalt
streets no doubt does mucn to make
up the daily total. What portion of the
daily supply is used in the parks, pub
lie baths and the various departmental
offices is not known.
One Fifth Wasted.
In the report of the department Of
water supply for the year 1908, the
last annual report published by that de,
partment, the statement is made that
the loss due to faulty fixtures and
plumbing amounts approximately to
thirty gallons per capita per day" In
other words, one-ffth of the total sup
ply was wasted in this way.
Methods to Prevent Waste.
The Bureau of City Betterment Of the
Citizens Union took UP this question
early in February Int brought this
statement Il public attention, together
with other information concerning the
opinions of engineers on the question
OF water waste in New York City. The
bureau also gathered information con.
corning the methods employed to pre-
vent waste in other American cities
Allowance of 100 Gallons.
1t is a fairly safe assertion to make
that few persons actually use on the
average of four barrels of water a day.
Engineers consider an allowance of 100
gallons 20 each person sufficient for all
purposes. Indeed, this allowance ex-
ceeds the actual consumption, for all
purposes, in the city of Milwaukee,
whe,e it is about so gallons, with 80
per cent of the taps metered.
Use Restricted to Needs.
1t is reasonable to demand that wat
er shall be abundant as long as there
is an abundance of water available.
But when there are limits to the sup
ply, or when the supply can be increas-
ed only at enormous expense it would
appear reasonable to demand that the
use of water be restricted to actual
needs. No one is benefited by the
waste of water, and the prevention of
waste will hardly work hardship. Few
reasonable persons will object to pay
ing for the water actually used by them
if the rates are fair.