National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-10-25
sEwERAGE AND WATER SUPPLY


LIEUT. enant Uoxio's Annual Heport-A Plan
for Extending the DraiDag" system.
The annual report of Lieutenant Hoxie assistant
engineer officer Of The District In charge OF drain
age. sewerage and water supply, submitted on
Saturday TO Mnjor Twinlng, Is very exhaustive.
covering infinitely the operations Of his depart
menl during the year aud containing many val.
liable suggestions. Work upon the large auxiliary
main sewers now In course Of construction Is pro-
crossing favorably. Tho Ncw.Yurk.avenuc gower
j. completed to Fourteenth street west aud tho
boundary sewer has rcuChod Fifteenth street cast
Muor lateral sewers have been constructed IN
various Turts OF Washington and Georgetown.
Rainfall and sewage carried off In the same
CONDUIT, properly constructed for the purpose, 10
deep wuter In the Potomac river. The worlnow In
progress besides extending ystem, EiHicnded. -
increase the capacity 10 carry on storm water 10
adapt tho cross section Of the sewers 10 the
variable flow 0f dry weather and storms, tO lOWCI
tho plane Of luw IN the How grounds, and o.
gradually Introduce the proper means Ol thpr9ush
uCfcutiyu Of the interior OF the sCWcrs. IL hus bccn
already e%plaiuud tlut ih.s work is necessary for
dfniuugc. aud can be used for sewerage until suil
systems. Should II be decided tp 10 this, t WILDE
necessary 10 addsuch inicrcep'ing sewers as may
pumps aud e separate system or sewers for areas
draining below tide level, together with the ne
Ses,aIy pumps ana 9lpnitennnrls, anu 4 conduit
from the pumps To- the point ht which 1t may De
decided to locate the outlull. After discussing at
some length different plans Qfscwcragc aud duvoi
ing some space 20 the London system,
having outfaiis on tho Thumcs, remote from
tho city, and depending for its success
upon irco use OF water Lieutenant Hpxio,
referring to the greater water supply here, tho dis
parity in population, comparing the rise OF the
tides on the Thames and the Potomac and the
How OF the rivers, concludes that here there us o
condition of affairs far better than that Of the city
of London In the simo respect. II, then, that city
is still debating the question whether the crude
sewage OF London may be turned with impuuity
into the Thames, not with respect ~ possible in
jury to the city of London, but injury to the river
and The dweieIs on It's banks where the actual
nnf fIu1 n hn
board Is on the affirmative side OF the question, we
may properly postpone the question OF distant
oulfal hero" Here, rs at London, the success Of
the present plan depends upon the thorough
assimilation Of the sewage by tho river water,
and tho action of the atmosphere upon IT,
The sewage OF Washington and Georgetown Is to
be turned into deep water of the Potomac at the
natural outlets of tho sewers at four points on the
Potomac front, where the storm waller OF tho cor
responding drainage area has IL, exit. The report
suggests the necessity of yentilGting the James
creek canal sewer. To recapitulate, the work now
projected and IN progress contempatcs the recn-
nation Of the flats along the w0ter front of wash
ngton and the rectiiicutiOn OF the channel OF the
river. 1t provides for the effective drainage of
Washington and Georgetown and the adaptation
of the system of drainage to sewerage as well pro-
viding IN such manner for the possible separation
of the systems at some future time, that while tho
combination of the two shall DO made to the best
possible advantage, all OF the work done in that
direction shall be applicable to the separate system
of sewerage II contemplatos, as the indispensable
prerequisite of any system of sewerage by water
carriage aud Of any reasonable condition OF health
aud comfort consistent with modern civilization,
the Introduction of liberal water supply ut u
sufficient elevation.
In reference to the water supply the report says
the necessity for an extension Uf the conduit from
the distributing reservoir TO the high grounds
north of Washington and for laying iOur-foot
iron main thence 10 reinforce the present main Is
increasing. IN closing his report Lieutenant
llOXiO says:
Tho plan proposed in my last annual report for
gravity supply Is again recommended, tue site
for the small reservoir therein proposed TO be Sc
cured ut once. In this plan l have suggested the
possible conversion OF the steep, rocky valley Of
Rock creek into great reservoir Mt some future
time. The site Is shown upon the accompanying
drainage map. Within the limits OF the District OF
Columbia the whole drainage area of the creek
would be acquired by purchase 10 protect tho
reservoir from amy deloerous inflow, giving II
national park about three miles square. Outside
the District the drainage area OF Rock creek Is
about forty square miles, which would either b0
acquired by purchase for the same purpose or con-
troiled by proper sanitary regulations under up
propriatc legislation Such project is beyond tic
necessities of the present, but not OF the future,
and there are many considerations which COM
mend il to present attention"