Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-23
DIR. BUsEY's RESOLUTIONS.
The Need of Extending the Water
supply and Sewerage System.


At the meeting of the Medical Society of
the District of Columbia last night the fol-
lowing preamble aid resolutions were Of
fered by DR.. S. c. Busey and unanimously
adopted:
Whereas the city of Washington, being
the capital of the United States, should be
placed and kept in the best sanitary condi-
ton; and
Whereas such condition can only be Sc
cured by Ia wing every habitation or habit
able house connected with an ample supply
of pure driI king water, and with a system
of foul water and sewage disposal which
will promptly remove such fluids beyond
the city limits such a manner as to alb
solutely prevent soil pollution;
Therefore, Be il resolved,
First. That the general system of water
supply from the Potomac river should be
extended SO as to be available for the sup
ply of every habitable building now in the
city or which may be erected within the
city limits and that this provision should
be extended as far as possible 10 the imme-
diately adjacent suburban districts.
Second. That the general water supply
should be purified by sedimentation and I'LL
tration dhe first being necessary at GER
tain times and the second at all times be-
fore ii is admitted to the mains.
Third. That the system of sewerage
which has been adopted should be extend
ed pari passu with the system of general
water supply until every habitable house
can be readily connected with it.
Fourth. With the completion and purifca-
ton of the conduit system Of water supply
all springs, pumps and wells should be
closed by such means and methods as VIII
prove so effective that 70 human being can
obtain drinking water from either Of these
sources.
Fifth. AS rapidly as possible pari passu
with the extension of the conduit system of
water supply and system Of sewerage. the
Of h.h to In a Tai
house should be compelled to make salts
factory connections with such systems OF
water supply and sewerage, and all privy
boxes, cesspools and other methods of dis
poSal of human eAcreta be effectively abol-
ished
Sixth. Without adequate supply of pure
water for I'll domestic purposes and sewer
connec tons of habitable and inhabited
houses pollution of soil, foods and drinks
and the diseases due to such pollution can
ct be prevented.
According TO the report of the fire de-
partment there were on July i, 1895, 54,2i2
houses in the District" OF these ~, SO
separate houses were supplied with Poto-
mac water for domestic purposes, and 1,366
srpplied with Potomac water exclusively
for business purposes" There We're 1O,06I
houses not supplied with Potomac water
for any purpose and Ii, ABB not supplied
with POI 1nac water for domestic purposes.
1t is estimated that 41,272 horses are sup
piled with sewer connections, and 1900
are Supplied with box priyies and ordinary
makeshifts" The Il, 212 houses with sewer
connections contributed 25l of the typhoid
| fever houses (Kobers report, and the
| 1900 with privy boxes and makeshifts fur
rished 100 typhoid infected houses. These
data, summarized from Capt Burr's letter
| to the committee of the board OF trade, and
| report of DIR. George NJ. Kober, show con-
| clusiVely, DIR. BuSey held, the necessity Of
| an Increased ard adequate supply of pure
drinking water, and such extension Of the
| system of Sc verage that will connect every
h3bitable house with il.