National Republican., 1878-11-06
OUR WATER SUPPLY.
Annual Report OF Registrar Thomas g.

Annual Report Of Registrar Thomas @. Cox.
Mr.. Thomas c. Cox, the polite and efficient
Water Registrar, has completed the report of
the doings OF his department covering the pc.
riod from November I, 1877, to June 80, 1878,
some eight months, and transmitted the same
to the District Commissioners, from which the
following is taken:
Total length Of mains laid and In use s9l,.
$40 feet, or l6s.45O0.52S0 miles laid by the
United States, of 80, IL, O, aud 4-inch pipe,
$3.50 feet, or l7.3DO-52S0 miles by the Dis
trict Of Columbia, Of 80, 30, aud 20 inch mains,
2I,slS feet, or 5liiS 52S5 miles by the old
corporation, of 0 and I.inch pipe, 5000 feet, or
ln.;!GO0.j2SO miles; by water department,
since its organization to June 30 last, of l2, 9,
and i.inch mains, 1ll,9i2 feet, or 13ji1i2 $3.50
miles laid from November /, ISL, to June 3O
ISIS 25s, III feet, or 5235sl $3.50 miles from
November |, lS17, to June 30, 1878, 1926
feet or 2.265j.jlsO miles.
There arc in the District 195 freplugs; o
have been erected since November /, 1871
There have been p large stop.valves and
boxes inserted In the same time. There arc in
use ia the District 2B3 hydrants, II Of which
have been erectol sinre November /. During
the SANE time 3W taps have been made, 63g
services turned oil for non.pnyment and for
leaks There are 100 pumps In use, 3 of which
were crcrted between November / aud June
30; 6lO repairs have also en- male TO pumps.
| The amount Of money collected by the Col.
lector of Taxes for the Water Department
| from Dcccnlhcr l., lS17, to June 81. ISIS, was
| SS9D9Dj 50. The expenses OF the Department
| from November !, 1877. to June ~, ISIS, have
| been Sf2.62i22 The amount Of outstanding
water tax on interest June 30. ISIS. wa, Sll2.
1881. The amount Of water. main tax col.
leCtcd In the same timc-advertiscd, a, ,972 2j:
uundvertised, Sll.7i325.
The Water Registrar states that when he
took charge of the Office in December last he
| found lack Of system In its management and
an unnecessarily large number Of employees.
The number of inspectors has been reduced
from twcnty.sevcn to eleven, one Of whom /.
detailed for clerical duty, thereby saving u
large yearly eEpcnsc to the District govern.
| mcnt. The District has been laid of into ten
sub.districts and each inspector Is furnished
with n badge. A complaint book has been
opened. In which all matter relating to service
| pipes waste of water. &c. are noted. There
WIS large amount of water rent IN arear.
. running back IN many instances for three
yelIs al Of which has hccn collected. At
the present date the rents arc all paid up
The interest upon tn over due Waterman tax
is so extremely low that many wh. arc ahuG.
dainty able TO pay the moderate tax levied.
prefer to let the tax rest u. on their property
and ~ use their funds for other purposes.
A. the wAtCr.mans, wien laid must be paid
frr IN cash ont uf the fund OF the Water DE.
partmcnt it will he readily seen that il their
cost is 10 be considered u perpetual loan to the
| tHN.pAyers Il Is only question Of time when
tho Water Department will cease to have funds
'0 lay mains. IL l. for the Commissioner TO
lrp!y the remedy hIt he suggests that when
property hl, been sold and the time of re.
lcup;iUu hA. expired, steps hy taken to have
a deed i>,lied to the Comm. s-,Oucrs IN trust for
the Water Department. lie A." recommends
that they apply to Congress for authority to
make such regulations Tor the charge Of water
r'EIs Us will lie more equitable than the existing
| lIw. lie also recJmmtu that l2.nCh main
| bee laid on First street, between Massachusetts
! avenue aud Pennsylvania avenue northwest,
which can be done ut an estimated cost Ol
$3.50. The laying Of this pipe will greatly
! hCurft the water takers ou Capitol llill. Also,
that l2.iuch main be laid to connect Capitol
! Hin with the stand.pipe, which can be done
| at au estimated cost OF S!3, ,5OO-l6,OO0 feet OF
| pipe being required.
lie contends that, under the law, public
school houses, market houses and all other
! property owned by the District in the front
| Of which wntcr-mLHs are laid, the tax on the
| same for laying the mains should be credited
| to the water fund and charged against the
| fund for the Maintenance of said institution.
The institution should also pay u regular
| yearly water rent, winch should likewise be
charged and credited in similar manner.
| There are between 930OnOtO and 2i0OO,OoO Of
gal Jns Of water supplied daily to the cities OF
| Washington and Georgetown, OnC.halr of which
| is consumed by The United States. II the Gov.
| eruIacut Departments can h. induced to cease
! wasting the water, theTc will be less Omplaint
Of the want Vi W.tcr by watcr.takcrs on the
| high grounds lfCongress does not
take some action to correct this evil, an ad.
| ditionui large main will have 10 b. laid from
| the distributing reservoir above Georgetown
| to accommodate the watcr.takcrs of the bis.
| trict, which VII ru,t about 800 900. II Con-
| gresS viii pas law requiring meters tObe at
tached to the Departments, and tx the amount
| Of water that each Department shall be al
/ lowed to lac, II may correct the evil.
CmLnLrNs u,rr,. r'> Hli Crst,Ts from s. to siS
a. katEtISIriIl's 1ly seventh street
Mnrn Rr.unn.ra 10 Roy. Ne Ialnn