WATER FAMINE

Southland Times, Issue 19939, 4 August 1926, Page 5

WATER FAMINE

NEW YORK SUFFERING OUTLOOK SERIOUS ONLY TWO MONTHS’ SUPPLY. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) New York, Aug. 2. New York is facing a serious water famine, with the city’s supply 79,000,000 gallons under normal and daily consumption totalling 969,000,000 gallons. The big Ashokan reservoir, designed to contain 127,700,000,000 gallons, and the principal source of supply, is now two-thirds empty. The Gilboa dam, the city’s second largest storage project, is nearing completion, and it is hoped that it may be ready to relieve the situation before the present supply, which is estimated to be of only two months’ duration, is exhausted. The situation is due to wind storms occurring during the summer along the watershed, and the usual spring freshets this year being disappointing. The officials view the conditions with alarm. All water meter inspectors have been withdrawn from their usual tasks, and assigned to the task of patrolling the boroughs in an effort to stop waste, one of the principal sources of which is the daily opening of the street hydrants to give the children showers.—A. and N.Z.