Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-12-01
THE POrcMaC WATER sUPPLY

lAldAits lalN TIE rom or-Alll-
| Zation, July, lisa, IN November IS, 1875. AZ
$50. ass = feet or los $50 $3.50 miles From No
vemb-r. lSsi, To November Is. lS5h, there was
laid - Go feet Of Pinch, - 265 t-inch. LIP
| l-iUch. ana ga inch mains. making a total
OF 5o5il feet, or little over II miles. the
length laid by the Washington Aqueiuct is
$3.50 feet. or n I52-52SO miles, aud the late
corporation OF GEORGETOWN laid In that city
| 5000 feet, or a little over 10 miles. Tue
Total length of supply and diStTibu-
non mains now In use i'm the Dis
IriCt Is 90 81 feet, or 80 4S2-52SO miles.
There are 674 fire plugs in the District nearly
all OF the Mcclellan pattern; % new iron
hoNes SCI; 10 large stop boxes put IN; 50 new
stop-valves and boxes placed in various loca-
tons. There are now IN use % public bv-
drantS, p Of which were erected during the
year; ,ilo taps were made; LBS water ser
vices lowered by contractors; 200 leaks
STOPPED; - drinking fountains repaired aud
painted; and Coo houses cut or for non pay
ment
TIE amount of money received from all
sources has been Sl25, 2sGSS, aud the a-aOlnt
expended 500 1880.
The capacity OF the great mains is to de-
50 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER IN p
HOURS
IN the two cities. We now use over p mil
lions daily; Is millions daily more than In
lSti. In 1S64 there was 10 each inhabitant 4
daily supply of so gallons; I'm 1870, 100 gal
Ions; in 1874, Isl gallons, and, I'm 1876, l5S
gallons. This enormous increase is account
ed Tor by the rapid growth of our city, by the
luxurious manner in which nearly every
modern house, so far as relates to water Il K
lures, is furnished, and by the increased
number OF water takers and population.
The number OF water takers has Increased
from $40, al the date of the organization of
the department, To L, 637, at the present time
THE INCREASE OF POPULATION.
Gen. Meigs, in his report TO Congress
February 1e6S, on supply of water, estimated
the population of Washington at a. ,SSg, and
total number of dwellings ISL. At this
date ii is safe to estimate the population OF
Washington anu Georgetown at nc, 800, and
the number OF houses supplied 25,2S3. In
August, 1873, the 36-inch main was COM
pleted, furnishing additional supply daily of
IL million gallons. Since that time we have
extended our distributing pipes 229r2ll feet
or - miles, and added to water takers i,410.
This explains why we do not get the same
supply now as at that time.
OUR SUPPLY COMPARED WITH THAT OF
OTHER CITIES.
We have daily supply OF water greater
than in any city in the country, as shown by
the following: Washington, Us gallons daily
to each person; New York, 100; Brooklyn,
~; Philadelphia, -; Baltimore, 20; CnicagO,
-, Boston, 60; Cincinnati, 80; Albany, 80;
Detroit, g; Jersey City. %; Buffalo, 81;
Cleveland, 10; Columbus, 20; Montreal, Can
ada, 50; Toronto, -; London, England, %;
Liverpool, .; Glasgow, 20; Edinburgh, 3s;
Dublin, .; Paris, .; Tunis. -; Toulouse, p;
Lyons, 20; Leghorn, 50; Berlin, 20; Ham
burg, So.
Within the last few years the cry comes
from people on the higher ground that water
Will not flow 10 their second stories during
the day. The bends, curves, connections,
stOp-valves, and the constant draught from
the service pipes, materially reduces the
pressure in the pes, so that when we get
above any part or the city ninety feet ABOVE
tide the pressure is weak and the supply
meagre.
General Meigs in his report of 1853 says
were il not for the great Importance OF pro-
lection to this building, il would be better 10
reduce the height OF the reservoirs in order
10 diminish the pressure upon the mains and
service pipes, which require 10 be made Of
great strength 10 resist the strain caused by
such head Whether tue extreme pressure
referred TO was ever realized is not known,
but we now have arrived at that perlO
when IL is abSOlu tely necessary 10 increa sc
the pressure on all our mains, and the elual
distribution to all parts OF the city is a
problem TO be solved. The next perfect and
available system will be 10 divide the city
into a high and low service, the high part oil
the city 10 be supplied from
A RESERYoIR TO BE BUILT on THE
HEIGHTS
above tide-water, with capacity of hfty
million gallons, TO be fed by pump engines,
supplied by 30-inch main TO run from the
distributing reservoir through Georgetown;
from this reservoir a number of large mains
10 radiate through the northwestern part OF
the city and high ground east OF the Capitol
The low service TO be all that portion bound
ed by L street northwest, river, 26th street
and 1st street northwest, to be fed by the
present II, 90 and 36luch mains, together
with a new Finch main from Rock creek
bridge along Virginia avenue to ID street
south, and TO the Intersection OF Pennsylva-
mia avenue and Sth street east, these with
Pinch mains laid at equal distances be-
tween Rock creek and 9Th street east, run
ming north and south would divide the sup
ply, equalize the distribution, and give suf-
ficient pressure on the mains for an ample
supply on the very highest elevations OF the
city. The estimated cost is 81 $50, 600.
THE WASTE OF WATER
will have to be stopped. How TO do 10 is a
fto, Ia cal,- nor1r-
the daily supply is wasted. The several
laws bearing on the waste OF water are
quoted, and the efforts TO enforce the same
recited. The meters used have been failures,
and but few are in use now. The first cost
of general water meter system would be a
serious obstacle, as IL would amount TO near
meters that still remain good and register
correctly were reset on certain public places,
and after ten days registration furnished the
following figures, which are believed 10 be
correct:-One hotel, 660,222 gallons; one res
taurant, 53,62l gallons; one livery stable,
3S,322 gallons; one dye-house, 50 1858 gallons.
1t is recommended that meters should be
placed on all premises other than private
residences, and moderate rental charged
for the water used. The law requires IL, and
IL should be enforced. In addition TO this
the fixtures in all private residences should
be Of such pattern and style to reduce use
and waste 10 minimum.
IMPURE WATER.
In June and July the Potomac water be-
came offensive to smell and taste, cOntinu-
ing for period OF thirty days. The river at
the head OF the supply Great Falls
TO Fort Washington was so tmpregnated
with matter as TO be almost unfit for drink
ing and other purposes. Various theories
were advanced and arguments made as to
causes and cure, the most prominent OF
which was the necessity for fltering the
water before il enters the great mains. Fill
tration on a great scale is based on the same
principle as the small ones used in houses
the water being strained through sand,
gravel, charcoal, &c; but when this is ap-
piled TO the filtration of millions OF gallons,
Instead of pints, the difficulties are increased
and filtering becomes an expensive machine.
To filter the supply OF this District would
require an enormous outlay aud the erection
of numerous reservoirs and flter-beds; even
then il is questionable whether the remedy
is reached for purifying water from the taste
and odor peculiar TO the Potomac water.
Reference is made to the action OF the
Board OF Health the past season, and the re-
port Of DIR. Craig upon the subject quoted, as
also papers OF Gen. Meigs and Col. Same.
Flushing OF the water mains did not better
the condition of the water, and not until the
middle Of July did the impurities disappear.
THE RECOMMENDATIONS
TO prevent waste of Potomac water are, first,
the licensing OF plumbers and certain quail
fications required as restrictions imposed
H..