Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-11-25
OUR TATER SUPPLY.
Annual Report Of the Water Registrar

Iuutys wafer TeEleITstr 81 the D1Strict OF Co
lumb.a, showing the operations OF that de-
rartment for the year ending November Is.
1916, we take the following:
WATER MAINS
The total length OF water mains laid by the
department. from organization July, 1850. to
HSyeinber 10, ne, Is sa5,314H lineal feet, or
lIA, 1915 go miles. By an act or the legisla-
lure there were laid under the direction OF the
chief engineer of the Washington Aoue,luct
'or the District OF Columbia: OF s6-inch
main: 2l,@9o feet; OF 5o-inch main 1850 feet;
of D-inch main, 4 100 feet, making total of
= ,s4s, or 5.144s-52s0 miles
The length OF mains laid by the Washing
ton Afusduct Is $3.50 feet, or Il -3s5j-5.S0
miles. The late corporation of Georgetown
iald IN that city $500 feet, or 10-2a00-52s0
miles: This gives a total length of supply
the District of Columbia to be s5l SPY lineal
feet, or I6i.S12k 80 miles. The length OF
mains laid since November LIST, 1871, to No
$3.50 miles.
From November 10, 1875, 10 November u.
1876, there were laid Of s-inch cast iron pipe
6,52l feet; of 6-inch pipe 80 ,2s2 feet, and of
finch pipe SO feet, making a total of 81 ,3I5
feet, or 1914 5Ji-5 no miles.
PIPE LINE.
The length of water-mains in the District
OF Columbia is 1e0-520 feet, or III miles; this
does not include the IS miles under charge of
the aqueduct Office; IL is In good condition. ex-
During the past year several leaks and breaks
occurred in the mains. most notable of which
were several of the 36-inch MAN. caused by
detective caulking, all Of which were prompt
~ repaired. The main in Road street, George
town. is of cement, covered with sheet-irOn.
This main was laid over 10 years ago. and is
worn out. il has has been repaired several
times. and is now almost worthless. A new
iron main for this street is anecessity.
FIRE PLUGS. HYDRANTS, &c.
There areas fire plugs in the District, near
Iy ali of the McClelland patent During the
year there has been erected a new ones.
There are now in use 29i public hydrants in
the District OF Columbia; Shave been erected
during the year.
Two hundred and seventy-one new services
run on Pcnnsy lvania avenue, between LIST
and 18th streets. Two hundred and thirty
nine new services run at various places by
contractors.
One thousand four hundred and Sixty-one
taps have been made during the year; of this
number 80 were made for contractors. ami
1s1 made on Pennsylvania avenue, between
lSt and 18th streets northwest.
There have been repaired 80 horse fountains;
horse fountains have been erected.
Twenty-seyen thousand two hundred water
rent and tax notices delivered; 1880 houses
examined for waste; 100 outlets flushed; S9j
houses turned OFF for non-payment; $50 turned
on; $40 still Of
WATER SUPPLY.
The Engineer of the Washington aqueduct,
in his last annual report, estimates the guam
uty OF Potomac water used in the District of
Columbia, every twenty four hours, at twen-
ty-five (25) million gallons. ApprOximatng
the population OF both cities, Washington
anu aJ Iib!tpu would give one
hundred and siXty-five 165) gallons TO each
inhabitant thereof,-two million gallons ~
day (4 hours more than in 1875 eight MIL
lion more than in 1873; thirteen million more
than in 1870, and seventeen million gallons
more than i'm 1864. This increase can in par
be accounted for by the large number of
water-takers. both in new and old houses, az
also in the waste of water, both in private
and public buildings. The total number of
ater-takers to date are 1i,0IS; total number
OF water-takers from November 1st. 1875, To
November 18th, 1876, iii; increase of water
takers during the past year, are twenty-nine.
In private buildings, during the past season.
measures were taken TO check the water. and
with success, so far as 10 give parts OF the
city, on the higher elevations heretofore
without water, a fair supply. As to public
buildings, owned and occupied by the General
government, this department has no control,
either to regulate the water supply or to check
the waste which is daily observed. tits safe
10 assume that in the different government
buildings, reservations, fountains and so
forth. nine million gallons are used every
twenty-four hours.
Total capacity of l., 30 and So inch mains
combined is 90, iJi $50 gallons every twenty
four hours, so that in public buildings and
reservations we consume daily hree-fourths
of the whole supply brought 10 the city by the
u and so inch mains, and nearly One-fourth
of the supply brought by the y, 80 and JG inch
mains combined.
IL is true, the act of Congress, approved
March Sd, 1879, says: The engineer OF The
Washington aqueoluct shall have fGll power
and control over the water works. and shall
regulate the manner in which the corpora
tIors Of Washington and Georgetown may
tap the pipes for the supply thereof, and shall
stop the same whenever il is found no more
tlIan adequateto meet the wants OF the gem
eral government
The above law is just. and was passed for
the purpose OF protecting the government in
tCrcsts and necessities, and is often quoted to
explain the supremacy Of the department. in
the use of water But it evidently was not
the intention OF those who passed ule law to
permit q river of water to run to waste to the
Inconvenience and injury Of many citizens
and their property. To remedy this and other
defects. IA well as to provide ways and means
for the future water supply of this District, /
recommend the appointment OF q board Of
engineers. experts in the matter of water sup
Ply 10 cities. This board To thoroughly ex-
anime into the whole question, in all its de-
tails, and recommend system that will
embrace plans for the laying of additional
mains, construction Of reservoirs, filtration
and other subjects in connection with water
supply, and when the same shall have been
approved it shall be the guide hereafter.
WATER WASTE.
In all large cities there is now and has been
for years, a growing scarcity of water, and
To this rule the District does not prove an ex-
ception. In addition to an insufficient sup
ply the most prolific cause of this evil is the
waste of water, which in this department
may be classified as follows: 1. The extrava-
CANT use in the several departments of the
buildings owned or occupied by the govern
Inent. Q. The eXtrayaSant use by citizens.
3. The waste by the different classes of closets
and urinals constructed TO allow continuous
flow. 4. Leaks I'm mains and sgrvices. 5.
Leaks in fixtures In residences, caused either
by accident or defective plumbing.
In regard to the first-named cause this de-
larJment has no remedy, but the accompany
Ing table, which shows that in 10 buildings
ESQ gallons are used daily, will prove the
truth of the assertion. Over the remaining
causes the waterdepartmenthas entire super
vision, and during the past year 7 have
made the utmost endeavOrs to prevent them
Early in the present year a competent corps
of assistant inspectors was organized, the
city divided into inspection districts, and a
careful and thorough examination made OF
the streets, alleys and places of business in
each district.
The number OF leaks in mains. services,
hydrants and fire-plugs reported and repaired
during the year was sl2. The number of
| wastes and leaks in houses reported was 40.
In each OF these cases a formal notice 10 have
| the waste cease and the leak repaired within
q stated period was left with the owner or
occupant of premises, and at the expiration
OF the time allowed a re-eXamination was
made. In most instances the terms of the
notice had been cheerfully complied with
but in some, ON account of the continued re-
no "A