Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-12
WORLDWIDE INTEREST
Water Supply of New York
BY FREDERIC J. HAskIN

and rising again in similar shaft at
the southerly.
The cost of the entire system has
been estimated at 1852, 100000. Despite
this, 1t will not be q heavy burden per
capita. There is no doubt that by the
time New York is enjoying the bene-
fits of the new system, its population
will probably have reached 1000 600.
Twenty-Five yearly payments of 90
cents per person will defray the cost.
In return the new system will supply
water for private, manufacturing and
public uses at the rate Of $50 gallons
for each person daily, forty more per
capita than Rome, formerly world
leader in this respect, now supplies her
waterworks of all large cities, II
reasonable rates are charged, have
sufficient earning capacity to pay for
their operation and to replace the sum
expended in their construction. There
fore, New York practically only lends
its credit for the construction.
The cost of the present Croton system
which, when fully completed, is to sup
ply S25.000,000 gallons of unfiltered water
to the borough of Manhattan and part
OF the Bronx, will approximate $780,
100000. The contract for the Ashokan
reservoir has been let, and 1t Is gener-
ally believed by those in charge of the
work that the system will be completed
as far as the present Croton reservoir
in FIVE years. 1t will be more than
double that time, however, before the
aqueduct under East river and New
York bay will give Brooklyn and Staten
island their much needed relief.
Even then, the problem will be only
partially solved, for the city's popula-
ton is always increasing faster than
its improvements, and by the time the
Catskill system, Is completed New
Yorks demands will have outdistanced
the supply of water, and Il will be
necessary to go far beyond the Catskills
and build reservoirs In the Adirondacks.
The present plan is to send an addition
al supply of between five hundred and
six hundred million gallons of water
daily to the fiva4boropghs which consti-
tute Greater New York. The total con-
sumption Is 500, 100000 gallons a day, of
which the Croton system. when COM
pleteiy developed in 1910. can be relied
upon to furnish 325,000,000. It is esti-
mated that by 1915 the population OF
Greater New York will be 5,260,00o and
it's water consumption 710,000,000 gal
Ions, 250,000,000 above the present water
supply. By 1880 the population Will have
increased to almost 100000, and the
consumption Of water to over a billion
gallons daily.
Surprising the consumption per cap
crease of population at 30 to IS per cent
each decade would mean that the guam
tity Of water must be doubled in three
decades. But the quantity of water
used per capita Is increasing rapidly,
not only in New York but in all large
European cities. New York is less
wasteful in the use of water than many
other large cities. That city uses about
i25 gallons per capita each day. There
is less waste in leakage in New York's
water pipes than Is generally supposed.
A prominent engineer is authority for
the statement that If every tap in New
York were metered. and all the meas
ures needed to prevent waste were put
In operation, but five gallons per head
of population per day could be saved
annually.
The water bill was introduced in the
state legislature of New York In 1905 at
the request of Mayor Mcclellan. II
specified certain civic bodies from which
the commissioners In charge of the work
were to be selected. This provision
made the measure unconstitutional, and
It had to be amended by lodging the
power of appointment in the mayor. he
established the precedent OF appointins
on this board member each from the
chamber of commerce OF New YORK. the
board of fire underwriters and the Man
ufacturers' association. J. Waldo Smith.
the expert on aqueduct and water sup
ply engineering. who is chief engineer
on the work. draws salary OF $l6.OOc
a year as a measure of his competency.
He is only 40 years old. and since leav-
ing college has devoted his entire time
to this branch of engineering.
The water situation OF New York has
been critical for some time. Substan-
tally every borough of the great city,
according to a prominent engineer. IL
in grave danger of a water famine
which can only be averted by care and
strict economy in dry seasons. and by
the greatest expedition in constructing
the works for the new supply. Should
the Croton reservoirs be empty at the
close of dry season, the supply would
be cut down one-sixth, closing factories
and increasing the danger OF fire. The
city remembers the time only ten years
ago when Brooklyn endured water
famine without precedent in American
history. Houses on upper levels went
without water for days. public foun-
tains were cut off, horse troughs empty
street sprinkling discontinued, and the
supply of water, only day ahead. was
so low as to be dangerously near the
lines of contamination and disease: To
avert such disasters in the future New
York is spending millions on her new
system.
I copyright, 1908. by Frederic ]. Haskin)
r.x.o-~oxu-Yxsrthdav NJ old (sIory.