Evening star., 1896-04-01

have-a conclusion not to be Disputed by
anyone who mas read the testimony Of
the expert witresses.
The only reasonable opposition to filtra-
ton or aedinentatfon plans arises from the
heavy expense Of such projects. which the
community is not now in condition to meet.
plan has been suggested by 8. p. Ak
tell. in the Engineering Magazine for April
which accomphshes the most important re-
suits OF general filtration project but
removes much Of the objection of expense
by reducing the cost to a minimum. The
proposition. briefly stated. is to purify only
so much OF the water-supply as is needed
Tor drinking and cooking: the water to- be
USED 1or extinguishing fires, for bathrooms
ana other sanitary necessities-such as
flushing closet-pipes and sewers-and for
mechanical purposes. to be in it's natural
condition. This means. of course, a dual
water-supply system, additional reservoirs
being constructed and additional pipes be-
ing laid for the storage and conveyance of
the horoughly-purifed liquid. The in
staiiation and maintenance of this dual
system would be infinitely less expensive
than any attempt to bring about even semi
publication Of the entire supply, of which
large proportion does not need purifying
one OF the features Of Mr.. Axtelrs Idea is
erection of small refrigcratfng plant in
connection with the reservoir whence the
pure water Is distributed, so that sutti-
Gent quantity of the water may be frozen
to Keep the stored water in palatably-coo,
condition. The suggestion is in no sense.
linpractfcable; its application would delight
every water-consumer who was not in the
ice-business
one important phase must not be lost
sight Of. Says Mr.. Axtell:
LAS our pure-water supply would he I'm
lted, II would be necessary to protect it
from illegitimate use and from waste This
could be done by placing very small, but
accurate, Teter upon every service nine
that enters building and charging a rate
per thousand gallons that would preclude
waste or Illegal use. For Illustration I pro-
pose tariff of one dollar per thousand gal
Ions. This, while 1t would give a reyenue
of one thousand dollars per day to the CITY
Tor every million gallons used in the aggre-
gate. would not prove orercus for IL two
gallons per capita per cay should prove a
hoerai SUPPLY, family of five persons could
use daily ten gallons of cold, pure water at
a cost of one cent-a price that would be
cheerfully paid. as they could not for that
amount buy enough ice to cool two or three
Sallons OF the dirty, pond water they usu-
ally receive"
Water-meters on the general supply are
~ ~ io"SAl oi' iof II IS wise puDllc
policy to supply with the least possible limi-
tations and restrictions all the water that
IS needed for cleansing and purifying per-
sons. premises. streets and sewers, and it
often happens that the streets and sections
of city whose residents require in the
public Interest the largest quantity Of the
purifying liquid ar. the least able to pay
for 1t. But if water-meters are ever defen-
sible 1t would be under the circumstances
outlined by Mr.. Axtei to secure the equita-
bic distribution Of limited and specially
treated quantity of water, devoted solely to
drinking and cooking purposes. The author
itics in charge Of the water-supply of the
national capital may possibly develop some
benefit for the community from considera-
ton Of the suggestions set forth in the
Engineering Magazine