XXXVIII. T. W. KEELE. 
Storage Available in Prospect and Cataract Reservoirs. 
—The Stuart Murray Royal Commission of 1905, was of 
opinion that 6 feet below top water level in Prospect 
reservoir, Should be considered to be the maximum limit to 
which it should be depleted, except under great emergency. 
Under this arrangement, the storage permissible would be 
2,000 million gallons, in addition to the storage at Cataract 
reservoir, or a total of 23,000 million gallons with an 
emergency storage below the 6 feet limit at Prospect, of 
9,000 million gallons. It should be the duty therefore, of the 
authorities, to avoid recourse to the extreme measure of 
drawing upon the latter storage, by exercising prevision 
in making further conservation of water, when the 
consumption shall have reached the point making this step 
requisite. 
With such magnificent storage room as we at present 
possess, there is danger of the people being lulled into a 
sense of false security. No doubt the general opinion is 
that it should serve for a considerable number of years ; 
but Sydney is increasing by leaps and bounds, and the 
citizens who have been looking anxiously forward to the 
time when they may have unrestricted use of water, will 
naturally avail themselves of the present opportunity, and 
demand to be served with as much as they require. And 
why should they not have it? They have always been 
willing to pay for it. Ina hot climate like this, a liberal 
water supply is indispensable, yet Sydney up to the present 
time has always been compelled to exercise self denial in 
that respect. It has the smallest consumption per head of 
any of the Australasian cities. Hobart, Adelaide, Mel- 
bourne, and Dunedin range from 60 to 64 gallons per head, 
Brisbane even has 54, and Auckland 44 gallons per head, 
while Sydney has only 40. The citizens will never again 
suffer the restrictions they have so long been subjected to. 
