ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS. XXV. 



provision for reserve storage which I have advocated, 

 assuming that the consumption per head per day, does not 

 exceed the figures from year to year, as shown in my table 

 of costs. The question of what should be sufficient average 

 consumption per day is a very debateable one. It is quite 

 true, as my friend Mr. Oardew has stated, that at New 

 York provision has been made for a consumption of 150 

 gallons per capita, per day (or rather 125 gallons according 

 to the British standard). He might have gone further, for 

 at Tacoma, Washington, the consumption is at a rate of 

 375 gallons per capita daily. At Buffalo, New York, popu- 

 lation 450,000, consumption 258 gallons; Oincinatti, popu- 

 lation 325,000, consumption 271 gallons; Pittsburg, popu- 

 lation 321,000, consumption 208 gallons; Chicago, popula- 

 tion 1,254,000, consumption 191 gallons per capita daily. 



One reason for this lavish use no doubt is that water is 

 sold at a very low rate for public supplies. It is also well 

 known that waste accounts for much of it. There are 

 instances on record of a saving of from 30 to 50% being 

 made after proper investigation, by the institution of 

 metering, and by the use of waste water detectors. It is 

 largely owing to the very efficient manner in which a 

 check has been made upon waste, that our own Water Board 

 has been able to keep down the average daily rate of con- 

 sumption per capita. This, together with the absolute 

 necessity for economising which has so long been recognised 

 here, is the reason why our rate is so low as it is. 



Mr. Oardew says that the increase of manufacturing 

 will largely increase the amount of water used, and that 

 the demand increases with the lapse of time. Concerning 

 this matter, some very interesting information can be gained 

 by referring to the Address of Sir James Mansergh to the 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, on the 6th November, 1900, 

 in which he stated that the consumption per capita daily 



