Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-11-25

afflicts the people of the District of Columbia.
There is an unlimited supply at the source from
which 1t is taken, and the existing
mains would bring to the city twice
the amount which is now consumed. The
/ increased quantity can only be brought in at
loss OF elevation proportioned to this increase,
and the low grounds gradually get it all. Un-
fortunately the growth of the city. within the
last few years. has been largely upon elevated
ground. In 1878, when the stand-ppe was
erected for the Washington High Service, the
| pumps supplied about 400 buildings and it
was hoped that Capitol Hill might receive a
| share Of the benefit The rapid increase in the
| consumption Of water by buildings in the imme-
| date vicinity Of the stand-pipe soon demon
strated the impracticability of delivering any to
Capitol ill. At this time S.019 buildings are
supplied from the high service, and it is impos-
sibie to keep up with the consumption. Not
only are the pumps unequal to the increased
demand, bat the supply to the pumps from the
low service is Insufficient. Upon Capitol HUI
and the high grounds not supplied by pumping
the famine is not much worse. 49, 49, 100
1t has been attempted. by the regulation Of
the principal stops in the mains, to cut off the
flow from the low grounds and black 1t up" to
hlgh elevations W heneTer this was practicable.
complaints from any location have been care
1uiiy examined, the actual condition of affairs
ascertained, and the equalization process re-
sorted to. About all that can be done in this
way has been effected.
TEMPORARY REMEDY FOR THE DEFICIENCY.
In some cases Of unusual scarcity partial
system of intermittent supply has been Tes0rted
to for the low service. This consists, simply, in
turning the water off from one locality to con-
celtrate it upon another, for limited time,
and then reversing the process. 1t is robbing
Peter to pay Paul. and then robbing Paul to pay
Peter. 1t is the last resource, and must finally
be adopted as the only means Of supplying
water until the new works shall be completed.
When Systematically in operation it
viii be necessary for all consumers
receptacles of some kind for holding
water, to arrange for filling these when the sup
ply Is turned on. and to subsist upon the con-
tents White the supply is turned off. 1t will I'M
doubtedly be inconyenient but not more so than
any organized system of intermittent supply.
Such system is in use in many localities where
water Is economical. 1t is preferable to the
present condition of affairs.
THE PROPOSED INTERMITTENT SUPPLY.
In the high-seryice district of Washington a
modification of this system has been in opera
ton since the pumps were first put up. The
district supplied by the pumps is shut off from
the stand-pipe at o'clock m and the low-ser-
vice mains opened into it for temporary use The
stand-pipe is then filed by about four hours
steady pumping, and at 5 o'clock am. the low
service mains are again shut Off and the water
from the stand-pipe turned on. In this way
the accumulation Of four hours pumping is
turned ON at time when the consumption
Is greatest-frOm 5 to 10 am. The water
Is not allowed to flow freely from the
stand pipe. The flow is controlled SO as to eX-
tend the time of emptyng the tank until ten
O'Clock a. m, or twelve o'clock m. After this
the pumps struggle yany to maintain a suffi-
Client head OF water throughout the remainder
OF the day. The effect of the pumps during
TINS time Is tritiing. The.Water flows from them
to the consumers so rapidly that but little addi-
lionai elevation is possible over that which is
available from the low service without pumping
at all 1t is very much like pumping into the
open air. Yet the pumps draw the whole avail
ah!e supply from the low-seryice tWelve-inch
main which supplies them:
III VIII be necessary to resort exclusively to
the intermittent supply. Consumers must pro-
vide themselves with tanks or suitable recepta-
Giles to contain the water; the stand-pipe must
De filled several times each day and discharged
under full head into the Mains sending the
water. in this way. to each consumer and divid-
ing IL equitabiy during the limited time Of flow.
HOW IT CAN BE MANAGED.
For this, as in the case of the low service. it
will be necessary to give public notice in order
that each premises may be provided with the
necessary means of pretiting by it, The times
OF turning on and Shifting OF the water can
be uniform except in the case of fires occurring
all the pressure available must be turned on in
that district, just as is done at present When
ever fire occurs, under the present arrange
ment. the pressure is concentrated as far as
possible IN Its vicinity by opening or closing the
stops which control it.
THE QUESTION OF WATER WASTE
1t can hardly be said that water is wasted as
long as enough will flow to meet the demand
There may be conditions under which water or
air may be unfairly distributed to consumers.
Such is the case here. With the exception of a
small contribution to the Washington high SER
vice by six inch main across the street
bridge, over Rock creek. the entire supply Of
Washington crosses Rock creek in the
two forty-eight inch mains which con-
stitute the arch of the Aqueduct bridge
Just at the bridge is the Aqueduct office, in
which self-recOrding water-gauge stands
which is connected with these mains and regis
tiers. the pressure under which the water flows
into the city. The curve Of pressure so recorded.
is almost a straight line throughout the twenty
four hours. the pressure increasing only about
two pounds during the night So the quantity
of water which flows into the CITY at night ia
but little less than that which flows in during
the day time. Where it goes before reaching the
Potomac through the sewers is not accurately
known. but may be cOnjectured. 1t is probable
That not less than ten million gallons of water
flow in at time when little or no consumption
should be reasonably expected. The mains are
not emptied during the day. and consequently
have not to be refilled during the night The
loss cannot be accounted for through the leaking
of these mains. because the leaking continuing
both day and night, is added to the consumption
during the day. and if the consumption ceased
at night the flow into the city would be only
that due to the leakage whereas the flow is. actu-
ally. nearly uniform day and night Besides,
serious leak soon manfests itself. The stiff re-
tentve clay of Washington throws the water
to the surface unless it finds an outlet through
the sewers. In the latter case it is detected
there, or the continuous flow washes away sur
rounding material and undermnes the pave
meut, making depression which indicates the
locality of the leak A leak occurring last sum-
mer in one of the large mains just in front of the
aqueduct office, forced the water up from depth
OF twenty feet. penetrating btuminOus street
pavement. and discharging tine water upon the
surface OF the street.
THE TANK SYSTEM.
few tanks have been provided by property
owners on the high grounds to be filed at night,
and the practice is common of using bath tubs for
this purpose. All of these would store up but
small amount ofwater The pressure in the mains
At.r..,,