The sun., 1918-07-23
MOVE TO END WATER
WASTE Is STARTED
City Using 10O,00O,00O Gal
Ions a Day More Than
Last Year.
RESERVE SUPPLY FALLS
Huge Sum Must Be Spent for
Pumping Unless People
Are More Careful.

thirsty or bathless for lack OF water.
The activity OF the Department OF
Water Supply, Gas and Electricity In
starting q campaign for the stopping OF
leaks and the conservation of water In
New York does not mean that the city Is
facing a water famine, by any means.
but II does mean that the city 10 facing
the necessity OF paying out f.500.0o0
more year for pumping expense unless
New Workers. are willing TO watch their
plumbing for leaks and to always turn
their faucets of tight.
With the Esopus or Catskill system
providing approximately 295, 900. 900 gal
Ions of water daily and the old Croton
system and the artesian wells Of Brook
Ign and Queens capable of providing AL
most twice that much each day, there
IL no possibility of a water famine in
New York. But II the depletion of the
Kensico distributing reservoir Is allowed
to continue at the rate of the last few
weeks. It will be necessary to open up
all of the Croton pumping stations in
stead of letting gravity do the work free
through the Catskill system.
In the year before the Catskill water
service was turned on for New York
the Croton pumping stations operated
by the city burned UP approximately
lfU,VuU tOIl5 Oh COdi. lUc department
Is paying $3.50 ton for coal and the
fuel expense alone would be enormous
IL the pumps were again started.
Waste Must BE stopped.
Nicholas J. Hayes. Commissioner Of
the department, issued a statement yes
terday In which he said fatly that the
wilful waste and extravagant use of
water in New York must be stopped in
these times Of war. and at the same
time he said that there Is no restriction
upon the use of water for legitimate
purposes. His statement reads:
THE people OF this city must he made
to realize that 1t is a duty to conserve
the water supply. Extravagant use and
wilful waste Of water must be stopped.
especially in these times when the Gov
eminent is exercising such strict vigil
lance in the distribution OF coal.
1.-The excess consumption OF water will.
X not curtailed. compel this department
to resume the operation of its pumping
stations and will result thereby In a
very large consumption OF coal, which
can be avoided IL all will cooperate with
this department in preventing waste.
There Is no restrictions upon the use OF
water, for legitimate purposes"
The actual condition OF New York's
kill system IL at present feeding into the
big distribution reservoir at Kensico,
Just north Of White Plains, approx
mately 375.000.060 gallons Of water a
day through the siphon squeduct which
cuts under the Hudson River at Storm
King Mountain. and then on up to the
big Ashokan reservoir with its 127 ,000,-
OO0. 900 gallon capacity.
This is all OF the water the Ashokan-
Kensico aqueduct can carry. and II Is
the total amount OF water flowing into
| the Kensico reservoir each day, with the
exception Of approximately 10000, 900
gallons which come from the Kensico
| watershed itself This brings the total
daily receipts to 395, 00O. 900 gallons.
Using 84O.OOO,OOO Gallons.
New York Is using close TO $40 900, 600
gallons OF water daily, according to the
experts In the Department OF Water
Supply. Gas and Electricity. OF this
total approximately 200. 900 gall
Ions are pumped Croton water. In or
der to supply the city with all the water
IL needs and at the same time keep UP
the pressure service it has been found
necessary to draw an average of 46O.-
0Oo, 900 TO AGO 900, 600 gallons a day from
Kensico.
by January /. 1918. this overdraft on
that reservoir had resulted in deple-
ton OF storage water amounting to q
667 900 900 gallons, Yesterday the de-
pletion at Kensico was approximately
1911 900. 600 gallons. showing that more
than 5000. 900. 600 gallons had been
used ahead Of that reservoirs repletton
power
The margin OF safety for depletion has
not been reached but It is in sight. aC-
cordlng to the Water Supply, Gas and
Electricity engineers, II the gravity
pressure service from the Catskill system
is 20 be maintained.
1t has been suggested several times
| To the department that one way TO solve
| the problem and do away with the posi-
| hility OF having to reopen costly water
pumping stations, except in EMERGENCIES,
| would be to enlarge the capacity OF the
| aqueduct which feeds Kensico from
Ashokau. SO that II could more than
| refill the former when extra drains were
made upon the supply.
Change Would Cost Millions.
THAT suggestion was not only made
but sufficient surveys were put through
to show that an increase such az pro-
posed would cost New York several
million dollars" said William w. Brush,
acting chief engineer of the department
But 1t would not work, as we are taking
lust az much from the Esopus Cats
KID watershed now as we can without
depicting il more than II will MI up dur
ing the winter.
AT the highest water mark reached in
the AsholIan Reservoir last winter the
supply was II 900. 900, 600 gallons below
full reservoir. and the supply now is
%. 900 900, 900 below fun reservoir"
Mr.. Brush said that the present aque-
duct is carrying more Catskill water 10
the distributing reservoir than the en-
gneers who built 1t guaranteed II TO
carry. Their figures he said, were APP
proxmately ESQ, 0O0,0 900 gallons a day.
Yesterday, and for the greater part OF
this year. the aqueduct has been carry
ing more than 35O.O00.oO0 gallons a day,
More than 100000. 900 gallons more
water day are being used this year
than last" said Mr., Brush. This | be-
| lieve, Is due to increased manufacturing
caused by the war. to waste by the con-
sumer and to leaks caused by high pres
sure. New Government hospitals con-
structed within the city limits have. OF
course. had their shares OF water. and
inasmuch as many of the high pressure
leaks have been allowed 10 run they
have become larger day by day and
| there has been an increased wastage"
| The campaign TO conserve water
| which the department II starting with a
I 49,.