The evening times., 1896-03-11
FILTER Is NOT FAVORED
District Officials Prefer a Less
Expensive Method.
NO MONEY FROM CONGRESS
They Believe That 1t Would BE Im-
possible to Get an Appropriation for
Any Other PurpoSe Than TO Com
plete the Lydecker Tunnel-Minor
District Matters and Orders.

The Board OF Trade committee, which
meets this afternoon at $50 o'clock to con
| slider the bes, method OF bettering the Dis
| trict water supply. Will. 1t is understood
have before 1t two problems for solution
the first an increase OF the supply, the sec
| ond an Improvement of the quality OF the
Potomac fluid.
II is the opinion of the District Engine
Department. that an increase In quantity
is OF prime importance and to accom- plish
this the most fehsibie plan presented is tue
completion of ti'e Lydccker tunnel.
In an opinion expressed several months
ago. Major Powell OF the hoard OF Com
niissioners. who has charge Of the Water
Department. said he did not regard the cs-
Establishment Of filtration beds as really
necessary. since by less expensive pro-
vision for sedimentation through the utiliza-
tion OF reservoirs. the quality Of the supply
can be materially improved. and the con-
stant demand for more water cannot be
well ignored.
MAJOR POwELL'S VIEWS.
II the District could have both. he would
approve of the Introduction Of the :iltering
process. This Is understood to be substan-
TALLY the present view OF the Commissioner
and his subordinatcs in that department.
Capt. Edward Burr, Assistant Engineer
Commissioner, who will be present by In
vitation at the meeting OF the committee
this afternoon, was asked today as to the
relative cost OF the two propusais-increase
OF supply and Improvement of quality He
said: -1
II have made no estimate myself OF be
cost OF the filtration system, but in one of
Col. Elliott's reports he states 1t as fol-
lows:
- First cost OF a system of filtering, So,
100000 gallons per day. by natural or
slow process, S667.67O: by mechanical or
rapid process, SSs3.O0
- For rs 600 900 gallons daily. as would
really be required for the needs OF the
District, the cost IS placed, by natural
method. at 81 ,O0O, 900; by mechanical
means, 81 ,324, 500.
The cost of nIaintenanceannuallyw would
be, for natural method. 10000, 900 gal
Ions. S24,333: mechanical. S114.366. By
natural method 75, 600 900 gallons, $780,
800; mechanical, s171.55O. This is in ad
dition to the cost of additional land required,
cost of basins a nd cost of the changes neces-
sary at present reservoirs
COST $4,000.
Cant. Burr demoDst rated that in case the
filtration plan shall he adopted, 1t would
cost the District not less than 100000.
10 meet this the water department
would have an annual charge added Of
about S5S, zoo, In interest and sinking fund,
which amount would accrue upon one-half
of the expendit ufe, and an increase in water
rents might lie necessary without getting
larger supply.
II do not see how the District can ex-
pect to get both a fiitering system and a
larger supply ofwater through legislation at
the present session of Congress. ! think
they will do Well to get either. and hope
they VIII agree upon one proposition and
push 1t. . - 40 ~
My own opinion Is that an increase in
the volume OF water is much more i'm
portant now chan an Improvement In the
quality. The completion of the Lydecker
unnei will give enough water to meet
Ill demands for the next fifteen OF twenty
years. and the work will cost no more than
the filterlng system will"
Capt. Burr regards ualityofthesupply
as fair. Admitting that it is muddy at
times. he says 1t is aot impure, and the mud
will be largely eliminated just as soon as
The increased facilities are supplied.
Considering that lit viii take two years
% make tie tunnel available. the captain
believes 1t is especially important that
he people OF the District shall endeayor
Dy united effort to induce favorable action
~ Congress at this session, since 1t will
De practically impossible to have 1t Con-
,idered at the short session -