Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-17
THE WATER SUPPLY.
Two Matters Relating to Improvement
of the system.


Two matters of vital interest to the resi-
dents of the District relate to the improve
ment of the water supply system. One
has for its object the Improvement of the
quality of the water by filtration and the
other makes provision for an increased sup
ply through the use of the long-a bandoned
Lydecker tunnel and It's auxiliary, the
Howard University reservoir. Gen. Wilson,
chief of engineers, has intrusted the execu-
ton of the will of Congress in both respects
to Col. A. NJ. Miller, the engineer officer in
charge of the Washington aqueduct and
the water supply system generally. Pro-
vision for both works made at the last
session of Congress In bills which became
laws by presidential approval March 3,
1899
An appropriation Of $4,000 was made to
enable the proper officer of the govern
ment having charge of the Washington
aqueduct and the water supply of the city
of Washington to make an investigation of
the feasibility and propriety of fitering
the water supply of Washington and to
submit to Congress a full and detailed re-
port thereon" etc. Col. Miller submitted
project. which was approved by Gen. VIII
SON. for conducting the proposed investiga-
ton, as far as the funds will allow, by ex-
periments with the actual filtration Of Po-
tomac water as delivered from the present
distributing reservoir, and also by a per-
sOnal examination of filtration plants in
other cities of the United States, as well as
by documentary study of the systems in
operation in various cities in Europe. Two
experimental methods of filtration are now
In actual operation in connection with the
local water supply, one by sand filtration
and the other by mechanical filtration Ex-
aminatiOns are being made of the eff1uent
from both filters, for archaeological results
and the turbidity, and at the same time
chemical examinations are made to deter
mine hardness, solids and akalinty. Daily
records of the work of the filters have been
70 I'm lat tod fny. ftr1nl tb..
ical Museum has also made meteorological
examinations of the effiuent of both filters
and has given the results to Col Miller to
assist in the consideration of the subject
These experiments have been in progress
for several months, and Col. Miller expects
to prepare and complete his report showing
the results in time for submission to Com
gress in January.
Good progress is being made in the work
of completing the Aqu~1uct tunnel and the
Howard University reservoir in accordance
with the plans formulated by the Craighill
board of experts and approved by Con-
gresS. There was no delay whatever in
beginning the work, and 1t is being prose-
cuted as rapidly as the conditions will per-
nit about POO men being engaged upon it
day and night. The water was withdrawn
from the tunnel and it is now being lined
and repaired throughout it's entire length
of about four miles. Owing to the excess
sive leakage into the tunnel from Rock
Creek, ii became necessary to place an iron
lining, backed by cement grouting, at that
point E1ghty-tWo iron rings, covering a
distance of 32S feet, have been already
placed in position and the iron lining will
soon be complete.
A general idea of the progress of the
work on the tunnel may be obtained from
the following figures. taken from the last
monthly report of Col. Miller:
Trimmed, 5,917 feet track laid, 2O599
feet; material removed, ,02S cubic wards.
timber removed from back of old arch. S4Ih
cords; new brick lining, invert, 1851 feet:
side wall, 1,6S0 feet and arch, 1,450 feet; in
vert placed in old lining 1906 feet; old lin
ing repaired, 5166 feet; concrete in place
1869 cubic yards; rubble masonry in place
in old arch, 4,241 cubic yards; in new arch.
1850 cubic yards; iron lining 32s feet. and
stone side walls, s.. feet
The total amount available for the conn
pleuon of the existing project is $612,573.
and of this amount about sol 600 has been
expended or covered by existing contracts