Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-09-01
Rain Water VS.. Potomac Water.

| Recently we have heard complaints of a scarcity
of water and fears expressed that we are in
danger of water famine. in consequence of the
Potomac water works being apparently unable
to amply supply all wants of water to our peO-
pie. If the people Will be wise and avail them
selves of ready resources there need be no lack
OF water in any part of the city. There is a
natural resource accessible, from which all or
| most of our community may have an ample
supply of good, pure water at their homes. the
whole OF the time. and of much better quality
than is furnished by the hydrants and pumps
of cur city. By records and figures of rain
gauges kept during the last three decades. go
years. at different localities, from st. Paul to
st. Louis. and from the Atlantic to the Missouri
river, it is plainly shown that the rain fall (in-
Guiding melted SNOWY annually has ranged from
So to SO inches on all the surface of the region
named-in no year less than SO inches. while in
some years it reached as high as 54inches-mak
ing fall OF water all over the country of from
) to feet annually; thus giving not less than
three solid feet of water to every foot of surface
annually over our whole country.
From little calculation in figures. which any
bright school boy can make, we may have fair
appreciation of the quantity and utility of this
vast rain fall: for instance: A small house. Only
25x6O feet gives 500 feet of roof: on this will
fall, annually, rain water to the depth of at least
three feet; then multiply the square feet of the
roof by the number of feet of rain fall, and we
will have, 1.5OOx3- 500 cubic feet of water,
ii Il
It's cubic inches, and in gallon 231
cubic inches. giving about ~ gallons i'm cubic
foot of water; 4,5OOX71a- So 80, or $50 hogs
heads, or 16,S75 pailsful. This is a much larger
quantity of water than any ordinary family uses
for all purposes.
Now the necessary cisterns and tanks to hold
this water, from the caves conductor. as it is
used out daily, need not be large or expensive,
not much more so than the cost of plumbing for
Potomac water. The writer of this has had
nj ont int eEn&o
rain water and cisterns. and can speak from
knowledge of their utility and advantages. These
great floods of water which rush from our roofs
down the cutters into the streets. during heavy
showers, may be saved for pleasant and profita-
BILE use.
For drinking and culinary purposes cistern
was dug some fifteen feet deep and about five
feet in diameter. then walled and plastered up
with cement. At this depth the rain water was
as cool as ordinary pump water, enough SO to
be perfectly paatable without ice. and much
clearer and more healthy than Potomac water
In order to have it perfectly pure and clean.
wall of soft brick was laid across the cistern,
from bottom to top, with tterer in this wall,
near the bottom. for all the watertO pass through.
The water from the roof OF the house ran through
the ordinary conductors into one apartment of
the cistern, and then passed through the filterer
and soft brick into the other part of the cistern;
and when wanted for use it was raised by NICE
clean pump. Having passed through the filter
which it might have gathered from the roof.
Here it will be seen that this system will fur
nlsh to the family clean, pure and healthy water,
which, after little use will be found more
pleasant, and be better liked. even for beverage
than any hydrant or pump water. and can be Sc
cured, In ample quantity. at little or no more
expense than the cost of Potomac water. and
without the annoyance of water rents collectors,
cuttings-of and short allowance for the i'm
mense rain fall will always afford ample supply,
as the cisterns will collect and retain enough
during the great showers to last for all purposes
betweeR showers and at the depth named water
will keep good and sweet from one shower to
another-and always be found when wanted.
For still further convenience of the family
small tanks, holding only few barrels can be
put in each story of the dwelling with small
pipes leading from the main conductor, whereby
water can be cheaply supplied to every part of
the house. greatly increasing security against
fire. as well as promoting health and cleanliness.
while this same convenience and security will do
much to enhance the money value of the prop
erty.
There are many other advantages and conyen-
fences to be derived from this system of water
works, rendering it superior to the Potomac
Waterworks, which each reader may perceive.
and which at another time may more fully
write out; but this IS enough to suggest thought
and inquiry into the matter.
Architects. builders, civil engineers, florists.
gardeners, stable keepers and Others including
those about to build or remodel houses would
do well to carefully study this subject, as the
writer has done for years and see how practical
BILE it is to save and utilize the many splendid
showers OF rain with which we are annually and
monthly blessed, and thus discover how easy it
Is TO become almost or quite Independent of the
mOnopoiIZlng water-wOrks, and, at the same
time, be much better served. DISC.
West Washington nee GEORGETOWN.