Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-03-03
THE QUESTION OF WATER WASTE
Further Facts and Suggestions BY Elk.
COmmissiOner Phelps.

cure their own ignorance. This accomplished.
IT is advisable. in discussion to adhere to facts,
and to indulge in as little fancy work In delinea-
tion as possible. Nor Is it wise to manifest a
spirit of local jealousy, even when founded upon
the most substantial basis. Your two CORE
spondents of the cath instant, in their papers
upon the water question, wholly neglected these
wholesome precautions. Mr.. Clarke quotes re-
mark, attributed TO me by correspondent
which had taken occasion to correct In some
what lengthy interview published in THE STAR
OF the Sth instant. Mr.. Capitol Hill' assumes
the number Of Potomac water consumers to be
10000. number considerably greater than the
entire population of the District of Columbia at
the last census. Must We suppose e. II. ignor-
ant OF the large rural population included i'm
the District census, as well as Of thefact that
many thousands of people In the cities
do not use Potomac water? These refer
ences will serve as indications of the re-
liability of the data of those gentlemen,
while their contemplate insnuations are
unworthy of the stdndpipe If not of the men
themselves. There can be good resulting
from discussion of the water question not de-
signed TO direct public attention to the causes
of and remedy for the distress felt upon the
higher levels Ny object in the present paper
is to correct. so far as possible. those erroneous
Impressions derived from statements, doubtless
often repeated. OF the character made in the two
ferers from the water famine the resident. upon
the higher levels of Car..;S,, III! have the deem
est interest IN aseartaining the sources of the
evil and in the adoption Of such means as may
promise relief. have not the slightest doubt
that If the waste In private premises can be
ended all sections of the city will enjoy sui
ncient supply of water.
WATER TAKERS.
There are 20. COS premises supplied with Poto-
m thrap eff
places of business stables and all other premises
where the water Is introduced and may repre-
sent something over 100 900 consumers. In a
comparison of our consumption with that of
other cities, it Is fair to assume its use here for
general purposes to be in the same ratio to
water takers as in other cities excepting only the
public buildings. But on the other hand the
demand for water for use In machinery and for
manufacturing purposes is small here as COM
pared with other towns. In some of the larger
public buildings the water Is pumped and the
consumption in that way known. 1t is not dit
ncuit to ascertain the quantity used in Others
as it can be computed from the size of the sup
ply pipes and the average flow in them. By
such means MIR. Same reached. within a close
approximation, the quantity consumed In all the
departments of the government In such meth
DDS there is no element OF that guesswOrk in
which c. ". intfulged himself But he furnishes
line means tor his own REPUTATION. He saws
waste water. and. from certain stated data, de-
riyes the conclusion that all the waste is in the
pubic buildings and so great Is il that of the
entire quantity of water brought to the city,
only :. i5S,o22 gallons are left for the use of all
me other consumers To say the least, he has
brought it to very fine point 1t is clear that
The hoodgates in the public buildings are as
widely open by day as by night. 1t is also Ger
tam that large majority of the water takers
have an ample supply which they use very
wi
gates are still wide open The pumps for the high
services yesterday lifted 310716S gallons
whence came the several hundred thousand
gallons in excess OF c. HIS calculations? The
water SO pumped was consumed by .179 water
takers. Where did the millions of gallons used
and wasted In the remaining II 40 places sup
piled with Potomac water come from3 They are
not attached to the high service and got no sup
ply thence. Ii we assume that these outside
and. Sc To speak unregenerated 1880 W. t's.-
Used and wasted wafer in the same ratio as did
Those drawing from the high services. they must
have consumed. II OS5 OOO uaIIOns
Add the amount pumped - 3IO1 16S
Also. Capt. HOXies estimated
puofic use. 7,000, 600 -
Total amount supplied yes
teftiay "a, l92, 1853 gallons.
C. II. states that on a certain day in a June
month. when the actual flow from the reservoir
was measured. It amounted to q. TAO SIG gal
Ions. The agreement between quantities so as
certained suffices to show how necessary 1t was
that {. H. should have studied his subject before
rushing into print.
WATER SUPPLY.
The supply is conducted to the CITY in five
mains of the following diameters: One of So
Inches. two OF 80 inches one of 20 inches and
one Of IL inches. The flow through the larger
pipes is much greater in proportion to size than
through the smaller ones because of the less
nyn finra az fri xo&~
about equal to the united flow through 4O-12-
Inch pipes laid in the same situation Of these
III would furnish ratabiy the government quota
The equivalent Of 29-I2-inch mains remain
TO supply the water-takers. OF these z, 500 out
of a total or 20.G0S. draw their supply from the
Washington high service, which is supplied by
one l2ich pipe aud 6-inch pipe this last be-
Ing connected with the other high service. That
j. 10 say. one-etghth of the water-takers are
supplied through One-niHeteenth of the CAPACITY
oil the mains supplying ali the water-takers. The
remaining 1890 water-takers are supplied with
an average equivalent OF I2-nch main to each
LUZ OF Their number. 1t cannot. therefore, be
said that the high services are supplied to the
detfiinent OF any section of the city.
THE LATE IMPROVED SUPPLY.
The higher houses attached to the standppe
Tor some days past, have been much better sup
piled than formerly. but the water still runs IN
termittentiy on the chamber floors This i'm
provement is due largely to the fines imposed
recently upon those of the high-ser Ice takers
who had the five hundred unciosed and uncIosa-
bic openings in the5r {lipGs ta xfi;sh,I referred
In former paper 9A6sel AZ e hundred omen
pipes were theosdisceversM places of wicked
waste. There are ssiit man to be discovered
and closed, for nearly Case thousand qaHons of
water was supplied yesterday to each of the
premises attached to that service About this
supply TO private premises there Is NO mistake
The amount OF pumping done and the number
OF places furnished are known and no oore,n-
'nera departments drew from that source. II
must be remembered. too that some of the
premises were insufficiently supplied, when
their fair share would have been one
thousand gallons to each one
An Intermittent flow leads to waste. Water
takers leave faucets open and collect water
when 1t may flow during the night Tubs are
nied and overflow. perhaps. for hours and while
the owner still sleeps. People will hardly lie
awake or turn out at early hours in order to
Close such openings. An acquaintance has a
SICK WIFE whose nervous condition made in
foierabie the gurgle Of an eternal flow through
nelghbors W. c. pipe. located against the
party wall between the two houses Remon-
STRANGE in that "a nravad nj M avail a.