Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-01
WATER AND LIGHT
The Annual Report ofAssistant Com
missioner Burr.
OPERATIONS OF his DEPARTMENT
Recommendations Made for the
Good of the Service.
FIN ENT

Captain Edward Burr, assistant engineer
commissioner, today submitted to the
board. through Commissioner Black, the
annual report of his department, which
comprises the important branches of water,
street lighting, building, surveyors office
and parking commission.
The report. in part, is as follows:
THE maintenance of an ample supply of
water for the District of Columbia, for its
buildings and grounds, and for the use of
its citizens Is divided responsibility,
shared by the District and the United
States.
The system. IN so far as relates to the
maintenance of an adequate supply of
water in the distributing reservoir is, by
reason of recent improvements, in condi-
ton to meet all legitimate demands that
may be made upon it for some years to
come. The mains provided for delivering
water from the distributing reservoir, three
miles west of the White House. to the CITY
have been at times in the past, and now
are, Of capacity insufficient to fully meet
the demands made upon them. The pres
ent overtaxed condition of these mains
causes very considerable losses of pressure.
with resulting insufficient supply of
water ON the higher Levels. Careful in
spections made on the lines of the large
eral decrease from the pressures existing
In 1880, when the supply was in as good
condition as could be reasonably expected
with the present system of distribution
from a reservoir located four miles from
the center OF the area to be supplied. In
the higher areas. more particularly on Cap
1tol Hill and in the northwest, The pres
sure has never been more than sufficient
TO give a fair service, and a loss of
from seven to fourteen feet of pressure
means that in such localities the third
floors of most houses will be without
water the greater part of the time. and the
second floors of many houses will have only
an intermittent supply. The present condi-
tons are little better than those existing in
1889. before the last increase of the water
supply made by laying the 4S-inch main.
Where the deficiency in supply is confined
to single locality. relief may be and has
been had from temporary eXpedients, such
as the REIMBURSEMENT of valves. Such
means have been employed to hold up the
pressure on Capitol Hill and in other local
tiles. but no further relief of complaints of
insufficient water service can be expected
from these expedients. The existing gen.
eral deficiency in the water service can
only be remedied by increasing the amount
of water brought into the city or by re-
ducing the excessive waste.
Increase of Water Supply.
while the pressures in the large supply
mains have decreased since 1890 as much
as from to II feet in the higher localities
the water level in the distributing reservoir
has been fully maintained during the past
year. In fact the aqueduct has delivered
into the reservoirs more water than the
mains could bring into the city, and the ex-
cess has been wasting over the sluice-way
of the receiving reservoir.
THE aQueduct and headwaters are now in
to deliver into the reservoirs
sufficient water to meet all legitimate de-
from the distributing reservoir into the
city are now taxed beyond their proper
end. while there is an ample
supply in the reservoirs no relief can be
had while the existing excessive per cap
ita consumption and waste continues. No
supply can be had until the tun-
mel conduit, or a substitute therefor IS
completed.
The Tunnel Conduit.
The tunnel conduit was carefully ex-
smined in the previous year by a commits
sion composed of the ablest experts on
such constructions in this country. This
commission strongly favored the compile
ton Of the tunnel and the Howard Uni
versity reservoir as the best and most
economical means of furnishing an in
supply of water. 1t cannot be too
recommended to Congress that in
order TO increase the supply and maint Tain
the pressure in the higher areas, the re-
be authorized Immediately Much discom-
FORT distress and danger are now con-
experienced on account of the in
adequacy of the present system to meet the
demands made upon it and existing condi-
lions become more aggravated with in
population and demands for wa
ter.
Residences Above Datum.
Large areas of the best residence sec
ton of Washington, including Capitol Hill
and all of the northwest section west of
New Jersey avenue and north of New York
and Massachusetts avenue are from seven
ty-five to ninety and 100 feet above datum
mean high water at navy yard and evil
IDENTIFY can hardly receive a fair water SER
vice even under the most favorable condi-
tons. The distributing reservoir is To-
Gated, as the mains run, about three miles
from the White House and Dupont Circle:
four and half miles from 4th and K
streets northwest: six miles from the Can
ltol and seven miles from Lincoln Park
With supply mains of such lengths the
loss OF pressure must be considerable even
under normal conditions. Even after the
last increase in the supply in 1890, the
pressures on East Capitol street were only
from fifteen to twenty pounds, and in the
northwest but fifteen to twenty-seven
pounds. At the present time the average
pressure on East Capitol street is less than
fifteen pounds, and in the northwest is
from twelve TO twenty-five pounds
The completion of the Howard UNIVERSE
~ reservoir and OF the TUNNEL conduit Tor
of some other conduit for feeding the reser-
voir of equal capacity will maintain a full
supply without loss of head IN close prox-
unity TO the higher levels, an end not to
he reached by any other means. AS is evil
dent from the pressures on Capitol Hill in
1880, the laying of the 43-inch main did not
increase the pressure to the amount that Is
necessary for good service and the having
OF additional mains of that size will not do
so now. Whether the waste Of water is to
be reduced or not, the TUNNEL conduit
should be completed for the maintenance
of pressures throughout the city.
Water Waste.
1.-THE term water waste is used in con-
tradistinction to water consumption, as ap-
piled to all uses of water from which bene-
fit of any character results. All water de-
partment officials concur in advocating a
free use of water for all purposes conducive
TO the comfort, safety, health and con-
venience of the people in their homes or
their business, but all are equally strongly
opposed to allowing water to waste into
sewers to no useful end whatever 1t Is
not economy in the of water that. is
desired. The stoppage of absolute and UNI
necessary waste is all that is advocated"
Aggregate Consumption.
Tables are introduced to show the con-
en- tom md 80