Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-07-17
The True Method Of Regulating the
Water SuDDlV.

Editor Of Erening Star:-The true method OF
regulating the supply Of water Is to provide
entirely separate services for three several
different regions Of the city, according to height
above tide. There is at the CAPITOL and east Of
1t, a circular plateau generally more than fifty
feet above tide. The northwest part Of this
City, including nearly all that Is northwest OF
Rhode Island avenue, is OF the same general
above tide. An trregularly shaped district, Of
which 18th and 14th streets and street north
west may be considered as the axis-is more
than ninety feet high. A few small districts
plateau, to between 80 and 100 feet altitude. All
the rest Of the city lies at an altitude between
eight and fifty feet Massachusetts avenue,
pennsylvania avenue, Delaware. New Jersey
and Virginia avenues all cross this, the lowest
and largest region OF the city.
All the great mains, which now bring water
to Washington, cross this low region, and as
every one finds that II he opens several stop
cCcks in the basement of his house, he cannot,
While they are open, draw water In the third or
fourth story, he viii easily understand that
while many thousand hydrants in the lower
grounds are open and pouring out water under
pressure, the stop cocks and the pipes In the
houses whose lower noOrS are more than fifty
feet above the river, and especially those which
stand above ninety feet altitude, Will not give
good supply.
The remedy is to provide probably three dis
t1nct mains, one for all below fifty feet, one for
all between fifty and ninety feet, and one for
all above ninety feet. When the aqueduct con-
dut is extended to 10th and Boundary streets
northwest, then three com parat1vey short
mains. but OF large size, can be laid from the
cOnduit;-One to l4th and Rhode Island avenue
northwest, will feed all the northwest city
above ninety feet. This region is nearly two
miles long and wide in its greatest extension,
but its area, owing to It's irregular figure is not
so great as these dimensions appear to indi
cate.
Another large main should be laid from the
conduit to the 36-inch main, which thus fed
should be devoted to the supply OF the regions
in the northwest, and that east Of the Capitol,
ninety feet.
Another should lead from the extended con-
duit, cress and feed the 3O-inch and the 12-inch
ginia avenue southeast. This would supply all
the city along Pennsylvania avenue, and all
that is less than fifty feet above tide.
tuG Ths dope each OF the three regions OF att
and will draw that supply from the conduit
near town and at good head or pressure about
14O feet above tide. Then complaints and diff
cult1es Will cease, and not till this Is done will
there be an end to these.
Careful study and survey by any competent
engineer must bring him to this scheme or its
equivalent, sooner or later, as the simplest and
cheapest effective remedy for these troubles.
Why should not the city place free MIGRANTS
at the corners OF streets, at least in the portions
Water ter rent @ is severe taxi Tho Those able to do $50 so
will willingly pay all just charges for cost of
distribution pipes and OF their economical
manlenance-aii that can Justly oe charged Dy
the District, for the water is not given by its
governors, Is not brought to the city by them,
but Is free gift to the District cities from the
United States, which brought it into our midst
and enacted that water rents should never be
laid for profit. When the United States has
made this great, costly and beneficent gift, does
it not become the District government to so
place cheap hydrants that all can enjoy it,
whether able to pay water rents and for water
fixtures in their houses or no? There Is not a
city or village In the Old World in which the
lords OF the city have not erected public water
fountains, always flowing, at which rich and
poor, stranger and citizen may drink or draw
water. without money and without price. But
in the capital OF the Republic OF Equal Rights
no POOR man Is allowed to take or drink the
United States aqueduct water without paying
toll In tax or water rate. NJ C., M