210 T. W. KEELE. 



approximation of the number of consumers, the Water 

 Board follows the usual practice of such authorities by 

 ascertaining accurately the number of houses connected 

 with the water service, and allowing five persons to each 

 house. 



The statement in Appendix shows the annual rate of in- 

 crease of the population arrived at in this way. It will be 

 seen that from 1888 to 1908 the increase was fairly uniform 

 at the rate of about 2| per cent, per annum. From this on 

 to 1916, the curve shows a very remarkable rise as follows: 

 —1908-9, 3.514 per cent. ; 1909-10, 4.16 per cent. ; 1910-11, 

 4.073 per cent. ; 1911-12, 5.026 per cent. ; 1912-13, 6.138 per 

 cent. ; 1913-14, 7.022 per cent. ; 1914-15, 5.807 per cent. ; and 

 1915-16, 4.46 per cent. 



It will be seen that up to the commencement of the war 

 the increase was very rapid, and it would be exceedingly 

 difficult to forecast the rate under such circumstances. The 

 decline for the two following years up to June of this year 

 has, no doubt, been largely owing to the decline in building 

 operations, owing to the war, and the large number of men 

 who have gone to the front, and this may be expected to 

 continue for some years. In view of the fact that all fore- 

 casts of the future increase of population to be served with 

 water have been under-estimated, and, seeing that the 

 population of New York increased at about 4 per cent, per 

 annum from the time it numbered 1,000,000 to 2,750,000, 

 I think it would be safe and reasonable to assume that we 

 shall experience a similar rate of increase over a like 

 period. 



The water for the supply of Sydney, as you know, is 

 derived from a catchment area of 350 square miles, in 

 which the Nepean Eiver takes its rise. It is of exceptional 

 quality, and requires no filtering. Probably no other city 

 in the world can boast of greater purity of its water. 



