Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-04

Whenever there falls anywhere in the
vicinity Of tho upper Potomac heavy
shower of rain, the people of Washing
ton have good reason for complaint for
rs consequence of the dovnpour there
Is turbidity of the water which many
Westinghouse drink and use for bathing
and other sanitary purposes. This grum-
bling at the excessive amount of solid
matter in a product which to be pure must
be wholly liquid has become habituaI and
there will not likely be any break in the
custom so long as the moving cause con-
tinues to incite grief and profanity. Just
now the clayey, gritty sediment in the
city's supply of water is lessening in guam
tty, but for a week or so it has been con-
spicuously in evidence whenever a spigot
was turned unless the spigot CHANGED to
be attached to a frst-class filter. Volumi-
nous and vociferous has been public con-
temnation, but the anathemas have been
scattered promiscuously and have in the
majority of instances missed those who
must bear the responsibility for a cond-
tion which If not directly detrimental to
health is most disagreeable This Is perhaps
rs good time as any to devote to discus
sion of the dirty water for which the peo-
pie of this city are compelled to pay so
much, but II is wilful waste of ammuni-
tion to fire volleys into the air which, If
they were reserved for awhile, might be
effective. A campaign in behalf of an I'M
contaminated water supply has been waged
for years by the engineer officers who have
had charge of the Washington aqueduct,
and their efforts have been strongly sup
ported by organizations and individuals
Interested in the welfare of the national
capital. but Congress-now, as in most
other municipal Instances. the sinner,
turned for many years its deaf ear toward
the petitioners and closed its eyes. Plans
for cleansing the water of all impurities be-
fore releasing it frcm the distributing res
srvoir have again and again been sub
mitted to congressional committees and
there has, simultar eously. been argument
sufficient, 1t seemed, to compel conviction,
but the movement was slow, for the con-
gressional mind was bent on m.scalled
"economy' and there was great saving
everywhere except as to appropriations 10
be expended in the districts of some of the
committeeman. OF course there were ex-
eeptional legislators-men who realized that
this capital Of the nation has rights de-
serving Of respect and who strove honestly
20 deal fairly by community that must
gain the consent of Congress before 1t
can spend one cent of the money which is
contributed by the unrepresented taxpay-
srs-but that variety of man was for
long time in a minority. Only by strenu-
Gus effort and only recently was any pro-
gress made toward the betterment which
will some day be achieved through the
settling basins in which sedimentation will
doubtless be successful. To gruuble at the
muddiness .of the water which is piped
into the homes of this city is an entirely
natural proceeding, but, except for the
empty satisfaction that may be derived
from expletive relief, 1t is resultless. The
time to growl is when Congress is in ses-
sion. And the result to be attained by our
growing Is the speedy completion Of the
plan of dan-raising and settling and stor-
age basin construction, upon which Con-
gress, after years of urging by the engl-
neer officers, The Star, and the community
In general has now wisely entered The
project of installing an expensive filtra-
tion system will need to be considered only
In case the proposed settling-bastns fail
70 reduce sufficiently the objectionable tur-
bidity.