Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-03
HORSES AND VEHICLES.
Wasting the Water.

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
There has been a great deal said as to
waste of the Potomac wafer, and a day
or two since / notice the janitor Of the
Israel Synagogue was fined for wasting it,
as no doubt many others ought to be.
In view Of this and the threatened water
famine I suggest that the authorities
should themselves set the better example.
There are large number of horse troughs
in the District. from which the water
runs day and night, and every day. The
many thousands of gallons daily, and the
same is tue, only to a smaller extent, at
the drinking fountains, where the water
runs continuously.
Now it is a very simple matter to pre-
vent this waste. especially at the horse
troughs, without at all depriving them of
a supply. All that is necessary is to apply
simple form of float valve that will auto
matically stop the flow when the trough is
full, and let it on the moment the water
in the trough is lowered. 1t Is not neces-
sary to pay for any patented device, and
as 1 showed the superintendent two years
ago very simple. cheap device that can
be used, and without any arm or lever to
pre- ject in the trough, and that cannot
be injured by the animals or hoodlums. 1t
seems to me that it or some similar device
should be applied and thus prevent the
unnecessary waste of water.
On Delaware avenue near the Capitol the
Metropolitan Railroad Company has a box
for watering its horses, which is supplied
from hydrant by colored boy. Nearly
every day as l pass it find that this boy,
to save the trouble of holding the handle
while the bucket is being filled, has large
stone tied to the handle, which lets the
water run full head all the time, 1t passing
into the sewer. 1 have been surprised
that this was not stopped by the police,
as the practice has been continued more
or less ever. since the box was placed
there.
What the company ought to do Is to run
a pipe out to the spot where the box is
and in an iron box set flush with the pave
ment have a hose connection; run the
hose or a pipe up to the box and put in
such float valve as mentioned to regu-
late the supply.
A little attention to these matters would
effect a much larger saving of water than
most people imagine. In an official report
by the engineer of a northern city rev
years ago was statement of the number
OF gallons that would be delivered in TWEEN
ty-four hours by a stream the size of a
pipe stem. 1 have forgotten the amount,
but 1t astnnished all to whom showed it.
At the Capitol grounds, the patent office
grounds, and I presume in other places,
the water is frequently allowed to run
all day to water the grass, and inside of
the buildings it is allowed to- run con-
tinuously, day and night. The amount
thus wasted is enormous. This, OF course,
the District authorities cannot prevent, and
II may be necessary, but 1t shows that the
citizens do not use near as much Of the
water Us is generally SURPRISED
With such supply as Is furnished by
the Potomac we ought to have enough, SO
that 1t could be used at any hour of the
day freely to water the grass, .plats and
the roughly flush all the sewers, thereby
improving the sanitary conditions.
In Cincinnati and IN New Haven it is SO
used, and in Chicago it is ALSO used for
power, although in both Cincinnati and
Chicago it all has to be pumped. Next to
air an abundant water supply is the great
est necessity of modern city life, but until
we can get that every means should be
used to prevent its waste. w. c. D.