Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-12-08
THE DISTRICT WATER SUPPLY.
Result of the Senate InccsfiOatiOn.
Report of the Senate eSub-COmmittee.

SenatOr daTTlS, from UQe COlnmlUt6e on us
trict Of Columbia, to-day submitted to the Sem
ate the report of that committee on water sup
ply for this District. A resolution adopted June
9Th, 1879, authorized the District Committee to
sit during recess to investigate the best means
Of securing to the cities of Washington and
Georgetown an ample supply of pure water. A
subcommittee made the investigation, and their
views were adopted by the full committee.
The report begins by reviewing the establish
ment of the water works, and citing all the acts
and appropriations for that purpose. AS ap-
pears from reports by Col Casey, the engineer
In charge, there have been expended by the
government of the United States to June 3Oth
1879, in the construction and maintenance of the
water w m works g. 1s4 A s4S72 e. The amount N expend-
is shown to have been 81 ,313, ,351.17; but as no
separate accounts were kept Of expenditures
from June 80, 1871, to November 1st, 1871, and
from November 1st, 1878, to June 20 1874, the
amounts for those dates had to be approxima-
ted. The District Commissioners could not fur
nish a statement Of the amount expended by
Georgetown, ''for want of proper data" but it
was estimated to be about $4,000. This makes
the total cost of the water works 137 S97 49, to
which must be added such amounts as may
hereafter be paid upon the claims of the Great
Falls manufacturing company and the Chesa-
peake and Ohio canal company. The United
States has derived no income from the water
works, and the consumption and waste of water
in the city is annually increasing, and has
reached very nearly the maximum quantity
that can be supplied by the three mains now in
use-respecttvefy 12, 50 and SO inches in dame
ter. The report of Col. Casey shows the daily
delivery for series of years has been as follows
1874 II 7554 s4s galllons 1875, q 900 900 gallons
1876, 19l gallons 1871 %, ,252 932 gallons;
figures for 1879 represent the present rate of
daily consumption; deducting therefrom
1896. 1SS gallons-the quantity shown by recent
measurement to be consumed by the United
States in public buildings, parks, fountains
lakes, &c-there remains 1891 ,454 gallons for
consumption by citizens OF Washington and
Georgetown population OF about 10000 SOULS
being an average to each personOf 15519 gallons
per day.
A table before the committee, compiled from
reports of engineers in charge OF the water sup
ply Of different cities in the United States and
Canada, shows the average daily per capita con-
sumption of water In 20 cities to be as follows:
Providence, 25 gallons Fall River, &C. Lowell, 33;
Lynn, "a; Rochester, 35 Columbus, 4s; Law
Louis, Sc: Cleveland, Sc; Cincinnati, 81; Phila-
delphia, IS; Brooklyn, 63: Montreal 69: Boston,
Is; Toronto. z; Buffalo, ST. Detroit, 1o5 Chicago,
sumption in the cities named OF 5sX gal
Ions to each person, showing the average
In Washington and Georgetown $3.50 TO
exceed the greatest per capita consump-
tion in either of the cities named by 36M gal
lons while the average daily consumption in
the twenty cities to each person is but little
more than one-third of that In Washington and
Georgetown. The committee is OF opinion that
an average delivery OF 100000 900 gallons per day
is the maximum that can be safely relied upon
from the three mains now In use, and this
quantity, If properly distributed, is ampls sup
ply for the present; but owing to the different
attitudes in the city the distribution cannot be
so regulated as to meet the necessities of the
higher levels except by the use Of steam pumps
to raise the water, and the pumps now in use,
though down to their full capacity, fail to fur
nfsh an adequate supply to the people residing
In the more elevated parts OF the city. To meet
this necessity more pumps must be put to work
or larger quantity OF water must be brought
from the Potomac. The use OF steam pumps in
wolves large and continuous expense and they
only serve to distribute to the high levels
maximum capacity per day of the mains; while
by sufficient increase of quantity all but the
highest points in the city Of Georgetown, it is
believed, can be amply supplied and so reduce
small portion of the pumps now In use will fully
supply them. The committee asked the District
Commissioners, Col Casey and Gen. Meigs, for
such information as they could give on the sub
iect under consideration, and further suggeS-
tiOns to meet the requirements of the case. All
of them-the Commissioners, Col. Casey and
Gen. Meigs-concur in recommending an in
crease of supply, and two plans are suggested.
Col. Casey says: ''TO increase the supply it is
suggested that another main be laid from the
distributing reservoir to Capitol Hill. 1t should
be three feet in diameter, and located on a route
to be determined from careful survey. It
would convey to Capitol Hill, at an elevation of
Us feet above datum, Il, ,0OO, 600 gallons in "a
hours. The furnishing OF this additional guam
tty Of water to the city would render the COM
pletion of the Potomac dam a necessity"
This method OF relieving the pressing necessi-
the most expeditions and least costly method
for the immediate relief of Capitol Hill. But
looking to the future, when the whole capacity
of the conduit may be required to supply
Georgetown and Washington, the extension Of
the conduit from the distributing reservoir to
the high grounds north of Washington and
there building distributing reservoir and con-
Meeting it by well arranged lines OF mains with
the city distribution pipes. would doubtless be
the best solution OF the problem.
THE ESTIMATED COST
of laying main three feet in diameter from the
distributing reservoir to Stanton Place, on Cap
itol Hill. is 1895, ,94S. This estimate is based on
the suppostion that the main will be about
$4,000 feet long and that iron will cost, delivered
at Washington, 1ai cents per pound"
The Commissioners of the District and Gen.
Meigs concur in recommending the extension OF
supply of water; not agreeing, however, as to
the point to which it should be extended and
with perhaps slight differences in their esti-
mates of the cost OF extension. The Commits
missi0ners recommend that the conduit
be extended from the distributing reservoir
to point north OF the city, cast OF 7th street.
and the building OF reservoir of large capacity
there to be connected by four foot main along
New Jersey avenue with the principal mains
which now radiate from the vicinity of L and G
streets, and they estimate the cost as follows:
excavation s13; masonry, s2O3, ,27. 81; timber
for conduit, S19,447.2O, making the total
cost for extension, 1854, ,131.41. Estimated
cost OF 4-fOot main to connect extended conduit
with other mains, s91 ,l9S, TO which must be
added cost of completing dam al Great Falls
5000 600, making total cost for increasing supply
by extending conduit, SS46 6,029.41. In addition
to this increase OF supply the Commissioners
recommend an additional reservoir, Which they
say "Wi,. Stcofne necessary in order to deliver
the water in condition fit for domestic pur-
poses the estimated cost of which is 1852 so,
which added to cost of extension of conduit and
main and dam, makes a grand total of
$1,3Os, ,541.91.
Gen. Meigs' plan proposed the extension of
the conduit from its present terminus to the
high grounds north of Washington, near 10th
and Boundary streets; but the plan by which he
proposes to distribute the water through the
city has features differing essentially from those
OF any other plan proposed, and which commend
themselves to the Judgment of the committee as
practical and deserving serious consideration.
Gen. MeigS' estimate of the cost of carrying out
his plan amounts to total of s675, 900.
THE COMMITTEE RECOMMEND
the completion OF the Potomac dam and the
extension OF the conduit to the high ground
north of the city, with the necessary main con-
nectionS. as the best means Of securing abun-
dant present and future supply OF water to
Washington and Georgetown. The quantity
water thus secured will be equal to all the ne
cessities Of the public departments, fountains,
and the people. The committee conclude
that the quality of the Potomac water cannot
be greatly improved unless by some process of
filtration, and they present plan OF Col CaSey's
for fltering and clarifying the water at an es-
timated cost OF s91s, 400, and the estimated an