THE COLONIST. Published Every Morning. Monday January 17, 1910. THE THREATENED WATER FAMINE.

The information we publish elsewhere this morning is more than sufficient reason for returning thus early to ""the very grave position in which the city is now placed by previous improvident control of the water supply system. It is only when a'dVought is threatened or is actually being experienced,', that we hear much of water supply, matters in. the discussions' of jthei City Couii.cil'j and although, the position at' pre-, sentis more menacing thaii it has been previously, the experience of the last two or three summers was sufficiently indicative of the straits the city must, eventually find itself in, to be taken into account in a municipal scheme of management framed with any degreo "of prudence and foresight. To such small purpose have these' qualities been exercised that we are threatened with a total cessation of the supply, from the present source within three or four days, there is not a gallon of water istored for use in such an emergency, and if a calamity is averted, it will only be by a visitation of the same good luck that has befriended tlie city on other occasions when good management has been conspicuously wanting. If the extremity to which thei city is now likely to be reduced will cause the City Council and the ratepayers to earnestly consider the means of securing a final solution of the whole problem, it will not be an unmixed evil. The present position demonstrates more claarly than it has ever been demonstrated before, that without means for the storage of a large volume of water, the Brook stream may never be depanded upon to supply th© city'.s needs. It would therefore be tlie height of folly to construct another weir further up the stream,, as has? been proposed. In his report on tlie water supply in 1900, Mr Mestayer condemned small reservoirs at various points, on the ground that they would not afford sufficient storage, and would entail an extravagant outlay for the small advantage! that would be; gained. He declared that 40,000,000. gallons, the capacity of the abandoned large dam, was the minimum amount that should be stored in view of the possibility of the stream failing in dry seiasons. The new high level weir is placed at a suitable altitude to afford an efficient ■supply to all parts of the city, if the mains were in good order, and while the water is available ; n the stream, but its inability to withstand a feiw weeks' drought makes it impossible as a source of general supply. Tlie same objection would apply to another weir thrown across the stream higher up. Either the repair of the largei dam or tlie introduction of i water from the Rodin g river is nn- [ peratively necessary. Of course t the present time, only temporary measures to deal with immediate require-ments-can be expected, and tliese will no doubt take the shape of drastic restrictions upon _the use of . water for even domestic purposes, and the total prohibition of Irrigation. It was suggested at the time of the last drought that a .small creek crossing Brook street near the reservoir should be diverted into one; of "the mains leading to the city. We understand that this could be effected speedily, and without great difficulty, and unless some more effective method of augmenting the supply can be devised, we hope this work will be authorised by the Council at its speoial meeting to-night. We would also suggest that the Council take advantage of the presence in the I city of Mr Hay to obtain a report upon the best means of meoting the present difficulty and satisfying future requirements upon ah adequate scale, from an engineer .whom, we believe, possesses special qualifications in matters relating to water supply.