Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-03-18
OUR WATER SUPPLY.
Two Reports of the District Conn
miSSiOnerss
THE WASTE OF WATER.


The Commissioners of the District on the 5th
instant addressed TO Hon. VIM. A. Wheeler.
President U. s. Senate the following communi-
cation:
.Sir:-In answer to the resolution of the
Senate Of February 27th, directing the Com
missioners to inform the Senate whether within
the last year any Investigations have been
made In reference to the waste OF water, and II
so when, and for what time such examinations
were made, in what sewers and sections OF the
city the same were made, and to transmit to the
Senate copies OF any reports made upon this
subject with statement of the action taken in
reference thereto, and generally what action
has been taken and what means have been used
to prevent undue waste Of water In the District,
tae nm saoh report that there Is no ne
for the purpose OF detecting leaks in the water
mains. "A leak Of any magnitude at once de-
clares itself by reduction of pressure in the
vicinity. The minor leaks show themselves
upon The surface, the pressure being sufficient
to force the water through the concrete pave
ments In regard to the general waste of water
edly in the course of the discussions which have
taken place in regard to the water supply
brought the facts to the attention of the COM
mittees OF both houses of Congress. 1t has been
demonstrated by experience that ordinary
methods OF inspection do not reach the diff
Guilty. During the past year owing to the Imam
cial condition Of the department, it has been
necessary to cut off all expense except mainten-
ance and repairs. The commissioners are un-
able to see that the Inspections, as previously
made, were of any appreciable benefit to the
committee on the 18th Of September is enclosed
in which will be found (pp, 2 and 81 state
ment of the views of the Commissioners upon
this subject. Here is inserted printed copy OF
the report referred to. 1t is dated September
18th, 1879, and was published at that time. The
views referred to as contained upon pages and
are as follows: "The condition OF the water
supply has been cause OF great anxiety. With
nrpSpnt
clenL to afford constant delN cry by gravity
above the 100-foot level, although during the
night an increased head is attained amounting
to about IA feet The high services Of George
town and Washington are working satisfacto-
rily, although already driven TO their utmost
capacity. II is only question OF year or
more when the pumps will be totally unable to
supply the demand. We have then to provide
at once some remedy for the high and low ser
vice alike. Washington does not stand alone in
this difIlculty. Nearly all the great cities find
their water supply and are giving the same
anxious study to The means of relief. The gen.
eral proposition is Self-evident-ether the sup
ply must be rel OF ede ss con on
Commissioners are aware of, the engineers OF
all cities are attempting to repress the waste of
water. beginning with the manufactures and
business houses, and afterwards extending
their efforts to the domestic consumption.
There is no public sentiment which can be
relied upon to give any assistance Such is the
are plainly given in the published reports OF
the officers In charge Of the water works of the
cities Of New York, Boston, Providence and
Chicago. The conclusion has also been grad
ually reached by the Slow process of expert
ence that methods Of inspection are practically
useless. All are now agreed that the only
method Of repression is by the use Of meters.
The water takers OF all cities, including Wash
ington, are equally bent on resisting their in
PRODUCTION. 1t is not worth while to enter into
any discussion in regard TO the various objec-
tions urged, some OF which are certainly valid
as. Tor instance, their expense, which In many
cases has been eXtortionate, and the fact that
the majority of meters used are worthless for
actual service. These are the questions which
can be better settled by examining the working
of the system where it has been extensively in
troduced. The Commissioners are more espe-
cially concerned In bringing clearly to the at
tention of your committee the methods by
Which the deficiency in the water supply may
be overcome, since any method to be successful
must receive the distinct sanction OF Congress.
Two means OF increasing the supply have been
suggested. one is to lay an additional main
from the present reservoir. the other to prolong
the conduit to point In the immediate vicinity
OF the city. OF these two plans the Commits
sioners preferred The latter as being in the line
OF ultimate extension and completion OF the
water works, and assuring a vastly greater
supply delivered at higher level The delivery
at the highest level practicable is OF great i'm
portance, since 1t will reduce to the smallest
dimensions the area to be supplied By the high
service. Capitol Hill, which Is the most distant
OF the elevated plateaus to be supplied by grav-
1ty from the distributing reservoir, has an ele-
yation of 95 feet along the line of East Capitol
street. The highest possible level OF the water
In the present distributing reservoir is 145 feet.
There ls then, an available head OF only so feet,
which is liable to be reduced from time to time
to A feet, While the distance to be overcome is
over four miles" The report then states that
an increase Of twelve million gallons per diem
to the present water supply is needed and pro-
ceedS TO discuss the plans for such increase.
The letter OF the Commissioners concludes as
followS:-" Methods Of repression, based on an
offensive system OF official inspection, have
never been found to be effective in American
cities. and the experience of this city is in
accordance with this general rule. By order OF
J. DENT, President"
THE WATER SUPPLY ON CAPITOL HILL.
The Commissioners of the District on the 9th
instant addressed to Hon. VIM. A. Wheeler.
President OF the United States Senate, the fol-
lowing:
SIR: In answer to the resolution OF the Sem
ate of February Sd, directing the Commission
ers to inform the Senate what, If any, action
has been taken by them under the act of Con-
gress Of June 10. 1879. authorizing an advance
of $25, 600 to improve the water supply on Capt.
tol Hill; whether any money has been expended
for that purpose, and, If SO, how the same was
made with the water mains and what streets:
the amount so expended; from what funG the
same was taken, and with what result the
SomIHlSSiOueIS nave tne lOlOf 10 reply that,
after series Of experiments on the pressureS
on the pipes on Capitol Hill, they found
that by disconnecting the s6-ineh main
creased head could be maintained
on Capitol Hill, amounting 10 about seven feet.
Among the plans which had been suggested
were. the construction of reservoirs, to be filed
by what was supposed to be the surplus flow of
the mains during the night, to be utilized during
the hours OF the day. The fallacy of this method
was Immediately evident when it was found
that the consumption OF water in this city was
almost as great during the night as during the
day, and that the level did not rise at any time
to such point as to justify the adoption OF
such system. Second, 1t was proposed to con-
meet the stand-pipe, which supplies the north
western part of the city with Capitol Hill by
direct main. 1t was found, however, that with
the present consumption of water there
was no surplus TO. be derived from this
source, the pumps being already driven TO
lheir full capacity. II such connection
had been made the result would. have been that
neither locality would have been supplied.
There, therefore, remained to be adopted only
partial means OF relief. For this purpose meas
u1es were taken to disconnect the 36-inch main
from the lower services. This was done by
shutting down the stop on the 3O-inch, and the
partially raised stop which fed the 20-inch on
the Island. 1t then became necessary to sup
ply the island by direct main from the So
1ncn. This was done by the line OF p 4th and
AZ streets by Pinch pipe. The result OF this
operation has been somewhat better than had
Deen anticipated, and the preSsures were In
creased by about eight feet. AS the lack OF
water under the present rate OF Consumption
is universal throughout the city, some
trials were made as tn the effect of nnaninrr