Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-18
Reasons Advanced by Commissioners
for Wanting Legislation.
WASTE OF WATER ANDPOOR FACILITIES
Effort to Utilize to Advantage Ex-
isting Distribution Service.
THE REPORT OF THE BOARD

increase OF pressure which may be ex-
pected therefrom.
The Commissioners claim that the ex-
perlence of other cities has proved that
the only way of avoiding what they term
'preventable waste" Is by the use of water
meters. They state that with such funds as
they may be- able to spare from the rev.
enues of the water department the total
cost for the first year will be about $4,000
Tor 5000 meters it being their purpose to
introduce them gradually.
The COmm1ssiOners' Report.
The report is as follows:
1T is admitted OH all sides that there Is a
scarcity of water in certain portions of the
city of Washington, notably on Capitol
Hill. causing loss of head sufficient to
prevent the water from reaching the upper
floors of dwellings,. On investigating the
subject it is found that this loss of pres
sure can be ascribed TO two causes: First
ON account of the waste of water, and sec
end, on account of insufficient supply IA
ciities.
attention of Congress in recent years the
answer was made that the amount of wa
ter used per capita in Washington was eX-
cessive, and that while this use contin-
ued to be excessive it could not be shown
that every effort was being made to util-
ize the fullest capacity of the existing dis
trlbution system. Investigation made dur
ing the past season, the results of which
We're presented to you in the printed re-
port of the operations of the engineer de-
partment of the District, and also in a
report transmitted by the president of the
board of Commissioners January H. 1898,
SHOWS that there is a great waste of wa
ter, which to great extent is prevent
able. Experience in other cities has proved
that the only way of preventing this waste
is by the use of water meters.
"RecOynjZinP this the Commissioners
nave asked authority to extend the use of
meters. For reasons which have been
given 1t has been considered desirable to
make this extension gradually, taking first
only those cases, where the abuse of the
water privileges is most marked and also
introducing meters at such points as will
give the most Immediate results in in
creasing pressures where they are now de-
ficent.
Thirty-Five Hundred Meters.
The Commissioners desire to prosecute
this work with such funds as they may be
able to spare from the revenues of the wa
ter department. the total estimated eXpen-
d1ture for the first year being limited to
about S75.00o, which would permit the in
PRODUCTION of about $500 meters. 1t should
be stated, however, that If the authority to
make the extension of the meter service as
requested, within such limits as to the
amount to be expended as Congress may
deem best is granted, the main desidera-
tum will be obtained, and correspondence
defer to more distant future the necessi-
~ for large outlay for new mains and
pumps. 1t is not considered desirable to
attempt 10 place meters at a greater rate
than 1000 a year until by the experience
OF at least year an organization can be
perfected and plan provided which will
permit the work of installation to be done
on the most advantageous and economic
basis possible.
Before going further attention is Invited
to the fact that if the present per capita
consumption of water in the District of Co
lumDla is permitted to continue, with the
population increasing at it's present rate,
but very few years must elapse before
the capacity of the aqueduct from Great
Falls will have been taxed to It's fullest
extent, and there will be an immediate
necessity for the construction of a second
aqueduct. This is shown on page 1909 an
pendix AAA, annual report of the chief OF
engineers, 1897, being the report of Capt.
D. ID. Gaillard.
Matter of Filtration.
ANY scheme for thes filtration of the
water supply of Washington will have it's
cost, in measure, based upon the uuan-
tity of water to be filtered, and it is i'm
portant that the waste of water should be
reduced to d minimum in order to make
this very necessary improvement the more
practicable.
any means which will reduce the per capita
consumption to 100 gallons per diem will
increase by more than one-third the avail
able capacity for service of the existing
pumps, mains, &C.
AS the metering of so large a city as
Washington must necessarily be matter
of time, it is respectfully submitted that
1t is desirable to begin on this work at as
early date as practicable.
The second cause of the insufficient
pressures, as stated earlier is to be found
in the supply facilities. Water is now
brought into the District through mains Of
maximum size of four feet. The loss of
available head, through friction in the
pipes, is well known, and 1t does not re-
quire an expert hydraulic engineer to know
that the shorter the pipe through which the
water is carried the more nearly the height
of the outflow will equal the height of the
supply.
THE completion of the Howard Uni
versity reservoir and of some means of
filling it will bring the source of supply for
all practical purposes about four miles
nearer to the Capitol than it is at present,
and will produce a corresponding increase
of pressure at all points to the south and
east of the reservoir, and, indeed. it's eff
fectS will reach to the west nearly half
way between the reservoirs.
THE following statements show the in
crease of pressures which may be reason
ably expected from the stoppage of waste
and from the completion of the reservoir
and its appurtenances.
Water Supply and Pressures.
"Since the deficiency in the water supply
and in the pressures in the street mains
is greatest on Capitol Hill, figures will
he given only for that section, although
the effect will be similar in all sections Of
the city and to a greater or less amount.
AS nearly rs can be determined from the
figures available the forty-eigh t-inch
main which supplies Capitol Hill is, under
ordinary conditions, furnishing water at an
average rate of about y 100000 gallons a
day. With a population og $4,000 in the
sections supplied by this main, the average
per capita supply per diem is, roughly, 145
gallons. With the use of meters, a re-
duction to a per capita consumption Of
100 gallons per diem Is expected. With
such reduction of waste throughout the
entire section supplied by this main, the
daily supply would be reduced approx
mately TO what 1t was in 1890, Immediate
ly after this main was placed in service,
and the condition of the supply would be
improved to what 1t was in 1890 and no
more.
The increased pressure and the increas-
ed height 10 which water would rise in
buildings East Capitol street would
correspond, therefore, only to the loss