Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-05-12
THE POLLUTED POTOMAC WATER.
The Health Officer at Great Falls.
WHAT HE SAW THERE AND WHAT HE WILL
RECOMMEND

DR.. Townshend. health officer of the District,
accompanied by STAR reporter, drove to
Great Falls last evening and to-day made
thorough inspection of the water works there,
In order to determine whether there was any
danger of the water supply of the District being
rendered unclean or impure by overflow from
the canal. The old dam OF the water works ex-
tends across from the Maryland shore to Conn's
Island, about midway of the river. This dam
touches the shore about forty PAGES above
the canal lock at the Great Falls,
and naturally the head of the conduit is imme-
against the dam the current is turned squarely
70 the left and thus forced to enter the conduit.
Ihe head of the conduit is protected by a heavy
iron screen, with meshes about one-eighth of
an inch square to prevent trash and debris
from flowing into the conduit, and right in the
f6rner cor OF the dam is gateway or opening for
sweep off such debris as collects against the
screen. When the river is very low this gate
into the conduit. Extending from the
lock nearly up to the conduit is what
the canal men call a tumbling dam for overflow
water from the canal to pass to the river This
is below the conduit and, therefore, cannot do
any mischief. But about 75 or 100 yards fur
ther up the canal there is waste-way or flood
gate constructed. Through this gate the water
Is emptied whenever it becomes necessary to
draw off the water from that level The tim
DerS OF which the gate Is constructed are old
and rotten. and there is not only an incessant
leakage through them, but the water steadily
empties into the current that supplies the con-
dult. and pOurS down into the latter. Then,
about 200 yards further up the canal, there is
another tumbling dam or waste-way, which
feeds a small but steady stream of canal water
into the river.
Heath officer Townshend. accompanied by
Gate Keeper Sullivan, of the water works, and
by several canal employees. carefully examined
each OF these places, and determined to recon-
the conduit be closed, and that all wastage and
overflow from the canal be thrown below the
Dam There is ample room between the dam
ana the conduit for such an arrangement. The
food-gate, used for drawing off the water from
the level whenever that is necessary. is not
o" over Co.. six feet .ss in width, and it will,
crate better by being removed further
down. At present there is no overflow of de-
water is low. The current in the canal is
the BERN side (opposite the tow-pathl, induced
by the f1ume, which feeds the lower from the
upper level, being on that side. But under the
present arrangement, whenever any accident,
such as a break in the canal, or the sinking of
boat, should require the level to be emptied, its
entire foul contents would pour into the narrow
channel. which supplies our water, not over 100,
yards above the mouth of the conduit. DIR.
port recommending that all wastage from the
canal above the conduit be stopped, that the
canal canal bank on that side be made secure from
gate and overflow be located below the
dam This will prevent any contami-
In truth, there is no great cause for any feel
ing OF uneaStneSS at present. unless the water of
the canal should be drawn OF, and DIR. Town
shend will recommend that that shall not be
permitted until the outlets are changed SO as to
throw the water below the dam. SO long as
the dOOd-gate remains where it Is the river
channel which supplies the aqueduct must be
more or less fouled by the seepings through it,
as there are dirty hog pens and unclean closets
Immediately on the canal just opposite the
gate. In the event it should be important to
the canal company to empty the level, that
could be done through the gates of the lock,
thus throwing the water into the level next be-
low and into the river long distance below
the dam. -The health officer will advise that
precautions be taken to prevent the emptying
OF the level by the present means provided.
CAPT. sYMONs' STATEMENT.
Capt. T. w. SymOns, who has charge of the
Washington aQueduct and the work on the
extension, this morning made q statement to a
STAR reporter regarding the alleged pollution
of the Potomac above Great Falls. Capt. Symons
says that about five or six hundred feet above
the inlet to the aqueduct the canal company
have had for many years a discharge weir. The
mae the water of the canal when the latter is
closed for the winter Under ordinary circum-
stances the weir is supposed to be water-tight,
but has become old and dilapidated, allowing
the canal water to leak through. There are sta
bles on the canal above the weir and the waters
OF the canal are more or less polluted by these
stables. The water that percolates through the
detective stop-planks and over the top of the
discharge weir runs down in q small stream
into the river above the entrance to the aque-
duct. This, Capt. SymOnS claims, is the only
pollution that gets into the waters of the river.
Capt SymonS, some time ago, obtained per1nis-
tive weir and build new one below the en-
trance Of the aqueduct. This will be done as
soon as possible, probably within month
or SO.