The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-21
Great Reservoirs Depleted Far
Below Normal and Inspec-
ton Reveals Cause.
WAR INCREASES DEMAND
Commissioner Hayes Develop
ing Plans to Increase Store
and Check Losses.

are taken to prevent leakage and waste
Of water. according to a statement made
to THE SUN yesterday by Nicholas J..
Hayes. commissioner of the Department
Of Water. Gas and Electricity.
The situation is grave enough 10 in
dictate that unless strong measures arc
used the distributing reservoirs will be-
come steadily depleted and IL will be
found necessary to reopen and operate
the pumping stations of the city's old
Croton system In order to provide ade-
quate service.
War conditions and increased manu-
featuring coupled with tho severe win
ter Of 1e17-1s1s have caused an in
crease in consumption OF more than
60,oo0.000 gallons each day in the past
year and Commissioner Hayes has
stepped TO the front with what he In
convinced will be the remedy for the
existing condition. His statement reads ::
Unless the waste of water in New
York Is stopped or greatly curtailed the
pressures provided by the Catskill sys-
tenn for the service' of this city will be
lowered so far that additional pumping
stations will have to be operated to
maintain those pressures
Inspection Reveals Waste.
"There is 20 per cent. depletion in
the contents of the Kensico Reservoir.
when 1t should be full at this season Of
the year. The draft from the Catskill
system ia in excess Of the supply and
the decrease of water In this reservoir
VIII continue unless the draft OF Cats
kill water Is reduced.
Briefly the situation shows that the
consumption Of water in the past winter
Increased enormously. This increase
amounts to more than $4,000. 900 gallons
day in excess of the normal winter
demands. AS a result there Is a serious
depletion of the Kensico water which
threatens the effectiveness Of that res
ervolr as safeguard Of the continuity
OF the Catskil supply
III existing pressure conditions are
continued and no effort made to prevent
waste, our engineers estimate that the
average daily consumption OF water
from July l to December 81, 1918, in
the area supplied by Catskill or
pumped Croton water. will be approx
metely 4s0,o00.00O gallons a day.
But to OFFSET the effect OF the over
draft on the Catskill system caused
partly by severe weather conditions last
winter and by the increased amount Of
water consumed. we inaugurated July J.
1913, house to house inspection Of un-
metered buildings with the purpose of
checking waste.
This inspection made by regular en-
ployees in this department without ad-
ditional expense to taxpayers has dis
closed some startling things. Among
these is the fact that enough water can
be saved through the prevention Of
understanding to the estimates of
our experts after one complete district
had been inspected-to more than make
up the depletion of the Kensico reser-
voir. "'."F.'
Inspection for All BorOughs.
eft Is possible for us to make these In
spections which serve also as resurveys
through a reorganization OF our forces
and more intense application OF our
employees in the cleaning up of certain
kinds of work. About 100 inspectors
have already gone over the Manhattan
district and they will take the other Dor
oughs in their order.
THE inspection also disclosed the fact
that unless this wastage and leakage OF
water is checked sharply the pumping
stations will have to be started up
again at a cost to the city for coal alone
of close to 100000 annually.
There were three solutions consid-
cred to meet and rectify the situation.
They were:
"First-the one we have adopted-the
reduction in the waste of water by a
house to house inspection. 1t was esti-
mated that n gradual increasing reduc-
ton in the amount of water wasted each
day. reaching a maximum OF SO, 200, 900
gallons daily at the end OF year. could
be obtained through the employment OF
inspectors and clerks. In that length of
time these inspectors could cover the
ground thoroughly"
Before the present plan was decided
upon It was estimated that by pumping
at a uniform rate Of $1,000 900 gallons
daily-for an average OF eighteen
months-in excess Of the rate at which
pumping Is now being done the same
result could be obtained as under the
plan now being used. Consumption de-
mands could be met and the Kensico
depletion made up by the end of 1919.
Found 5000 Leaks.
Still another estimate was considered
1t suggested that Croton gravity water
service be restored to the lower part of
Manhattan Island. and It IL estimated
that there would be $4,000. 900 gallons a
day less required from the Catskill SER
vice. Under this plan the pressures in
the district south of Fourteenth street
would be reduced from an average OF as
pounds to 26 pounds. This would have
necessitated no outlay by the city for
the balance Of this year and next, but IL
would have forced property owners to
pump water to their buildings which ran
above the level to which that Croton
gravity water would flow.
But all of the original antidotes for
the existing condition were discarded
and Commissioner Hayes and his ex-
perts are pinn!ng their faith in the pre-
ventlon OF waste and the stopping as
much as possible OF leaks and seepage.
The inspection as made by the depart
ment OF Manhattan. which is the No /
tax section of the city. showed that $500
leaks have been found. OF these, more
than $500 were traced to that most in
sldous of water thieves, the running
flush tanks in lavatories.
The Bureau OF Water. Gas and Elec-
trclty will soon launch a comprehensive
campaign for the saving Of water. the
stopping of leaks and the checking of
seepage, and a great deal of educational
work will be done while Commissioner
Hayes's unit of inspectors continue their
survey of the city.
Arrangements have almost been COM
pleted for the distribution OF educational
literature and the showing of moving
pictures In the public schools of the city.
The water saving campaign will be on
in full swing within the next week or two