Today is Day Six, or Seven, depending on when you started counting, of the 30-day period that Governor Spitzer has given the MTA to account for what went wrong with regard to last Wednesday morning’s inundation of the subway system, and what the transit agency proposes to do about such events in the future.

The first requirement for this debacle is a name, preferably ending with gate. Two names leap to mind: Sewergate, because the rain-clogged sewers could not handle the overflow from the inundated tunnels, or Floodgate, which is probably best, except that we know there are more floods coming.

Although I am not an engineer, certain questions arising from this flood do occur to me, and I ask them in the hope of receiving answers from professionals.

1) What good would it do to double the capacity of the pumps so that they would handle three inches of rainfall in an hour — their capacity is now said to be 1.5 inches per hour — if the sewer system does not have capacity to carry away the water that is now pumped into it?

2) How much would a new pumping system cost, and what impact would that have on fares? How often is it that a new system would be necessary?

3) Since water seeks its own level, why not dig a hole in the bottom of the subway, and pipe the runoff into the nearest water body or combined sewer overflow facility like the one under Flushing Meadows-Corona Park?

4) If subway floodwaters are cleaner than regular sewage, what, if anything, is wrong with mixing them?

5) Why not use the four parts of the Second Avenue Subway where tunnels were excavated years ago to store the waters until they subside, or are pumped out into the sewer system?

We are certain that the engineers and technicians will think of better questions and offer answers in the 24 remaining days allotted to them, as well as the months or years that will follow before final decisions are made and implemented. We hope the MTA engineers do not just dust off their old plans and double or triple the cost estimates to account for increases in labor and material prices, which are now rising at between 1% and 2% per month.

One suggestion that occurred to us appears, perhaps in our naivete, to be sensible and practical: We must attach a reverse 911-type message system to all cellphones and land lines, so that emergency messages, oral or text, can reach the general public as soon as possible. If people knew that the subways were flooded before they left their homes, a great deal of trouble and confusion could have been avoided.

And, if there were a terrorist attack, instant awareness of the danger could give

more people an opportunity to survive. It is ridiculous that this has not been done already. After all, we do have a Department of Homeland Security.

With all the technology and resources invested in cell phones for taking pictures, playing video games, downloading music, and other diversions, it is hard to understand why this important public-service feature has not been provided. Maybe corporations don’t see any profit in it. Maybe the authorities are sleeping. For change to take place, many people must pick up on the idea. Instant two-way 911, or whatever number is chosen, must become a priority for all New Yorkers. This is an obvious opportunity for Mayor Bloomberg, the technology mayor, who gave us 311, to take national leadership.

At the push of a citizen’s button, the appropriate level of government should be able to reach all telephones, cellular and land line, with a spoken or text message about what is now euphemistically called an event.

We request specific, appropriate, safety messages: “Stay out of the subways,” “Close your windows,” “Remain indoors,” “Don’t drink the water,” “Get out of town” — important bulletins relating to specific threats. The sooner this comes, the better.

Hopefully, the subway flood will do some good if it stimulates public and official demand for instant communication with the public in emergencies.

Mr. Stern, president of New York Civic, was New York City’s parks commissioner under Mayors Koch and Giuliani.