Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-16
A MISFIT TACKLE.

bait and that the Sinkcr is too much
Captain Gaillard, of reducing the consump-
ton of water is by the introduction OF
meters. This method has been shown, he
claims, by actual experience in other cities
to accomplish the desired results. but when
is not improbable. he thinks, that further
tentlon of Congress and of the public of
this city 1t has not met with approval. 1t
it not improbable. he thinks. that further
attention may yet be given to this subject,
as. under the act approved June g. 1890,
an appropriation was made for establishing
certain portions of filtration plant. there
by apparently, he concludes, giving the
sanction of Congress to the future filtra-
ton of the water supply Of the District of
Columbia.
1t has been estimated" says Captain
Gaillard, that the operating expenses of
filtration plant will amount to about 50 per
million gallons of water filtered. Presume
bly,, as heretofore. the District of Columbia
Will have to pay one-half of this sum.
which, at the present rate of consumption,
will entail an additional expense of about
$3.50 per day. With the contemplated in
crease In the pumping service and the
pense necesstated by filtration It is quite
improbable that the revenues of the water
department will be sufficient to meet the
additional charges unless rates are in
creased, proposition which, II Is believed,
will not be popular. The other alternative
is TO reduce the consumption. and this, 1t
Is believed, can be accomplished only by
the use of meters.
The present law requires that meters
snail be Installed in all apartment houses
in the District OF Columbia. and interest
Ing data has been obtained from the read
ings of these meters. Forty-four apartment
houses, located in various parts Of the city
and containing ,435 occupants showed an
average daily per capita consumption OF
S1.3 gallons the maximum for any one
apartment house being :i04.1 gallons and
the minimum being 1851 gallons. Half OF
these apartment houses had an average
daily per capita consumption of more than
IS gallons and half of less than - gallons
Only eight of the forty-four showed an
average daily per capita consumption ex-
ceedng 100 gallons.
observations Compared.
'In contrast to the metered service jus.
described 1t Is interesting to compare obser-
vations made in two different sections Of
the city in 1898. where in each case the
amount Of water used by a certain definite
number of adjoining houses was meterei
at the service main supplying them with.
out the knowledge OF the occupants of the
premises. Forty nine brick houses in Ches-
ter court. containing DIT colored tenants
gave an average daily per capita consump-
ton OF lt8 gallons. and A houses in the
northwest section, containing ZIG occu-
pants, gave an average daily per capita
consumption of 213 gallons
ION September -, 1897 the consumption
of water in a residence section of George
town, d. c., containing population of
$3.50 persons. was measured from 12:Is
am. to Lao am, and amounted to 1850
gallons. corresponding to a rate of 100 gal
Ions per capita per day at an hour of the
night when the legitimate consumption
should have been almost nothing.
For Municipal Purposes.
Capt. Gaillard invites attention to the
far bat fol fret tn, ~.
of the department careful observations. in
vestigations and measurements have been
made for the purpose of determining the
amount of water used in the District for
municipal purposes. 1t is believed by him
that the desired information has been OBJ
tained with fair degree of accuracy the
results being shown in the following table:
So public schools. 200 7O7 OO
District of Columbia building. G.96OUu
ia automatic flush basins 2S3, al 90
Flushing and cleaning sewers
and basins. Observation-Disclosures. 1876, 80"
81 horse fountains. Observation-Disclosures. 1854, $1,000
Sprinkling streets and roads. 257 1880
Flushing fire hydrants ........... .aDOU.O
Total OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 1,Ib9,3S2o0
To this amount must be added the water
used in three market houses, L street
pumping station, 10 police stations and
Police Court, ~ engine and truck houses,
District of Columbia stables Jail, work
house and almshouse, industrial home
school. reform school for girls and by con-
tractors doing work for the District of Co
lumbia
Careful estimates indicate these uses as
amounting to 2393DO gallons per day, n
total of 2O0s6 49, gallons per day for all
municipal purposes. corresponding to s
daily per capita of - gallons for each In
habitant of the District of Columbia.
Parks and Reservations.
The water used In the parks and reserva
tons thinks Capt. Gaillard. would in most
cities very properly be charged to municipal
consumption, but in the District these pub
lie spaces are entirely under the control of
the United States authorities. and are
therefore out Of the jurisdiction OF the
municipal authorities of the District Of CO.
lumbia.
From January to May 4. 1900 meter
readings were taken on eightytwo Of the
public school buildings in the District of Co.
lumbia, and some interesting statistics were
obtained therefrom. The total number of
pupils In these schools was IS .5S7 Forty OF
the buildings were equipped with dry
closets and forty-two with water closets.
The average daily consumption per capita
In the former case was 81 gallons: the
maximum 32.2 gallons and the minimum Of
gallons; in the latter case the figures were
10, AT and "a gallons, respectively.
Discovery Of Leaks.
During the year a rigid inspection was
uiduc ioI Pun posc VI uetettiHS
classifying leaks due to defective fixtures
The results are shown in the following
table:
Statement of inspections, July /, 1899, to
June 30. l9O0-Total number Of premises in
spected, lOS,364: total number of premises
In which leaks were found, II .452; total
number of leaking fixtures In one complete
round of the District of Columbia, IL .564.
Number of leaking fixtures of each class
found In one complete round of the Dis
rin nj oil IN,
Gets. 3.627; total II, 564.
In addition all public hydrants and fire
plugs in the District were inspected and
the amount of leakage in each case deter
mined The result Of this inspection Is given
in the following table: -.
Total number Of public hydrants in use,