The evening times., 1901-07-29

HecG1Ee the oFdSE
Captain Beach other Matters.
Considerable interest has been mani
tested in the recently published report OF
Col Alexander NJ Miller on the Wash
ington water supply. 1t IS generally un-
derstood that the water supply system Is
Jointly owned by the United States Gov
erruent and the District Of Columbia
The works which really bring the va
ter from the falls TO the city and the IA
ciIities for storage are mostly the prop
ertv Of the Federal Government. while
the mains in the city. the pumping sta
tons. and the facilities Of distribution are
the property Of the District The report
CT Colonel Miller was made TO the Sec
retary OF War. and had especial reference
10 the United States Government end OF
the water supply
The point IN the report which has at
tracted greatest attention is that in
which he refers 10 the reckless waste
OF water as shown in the records and
measurements of the past year Colonel
Miller states that the consumption Of
water as measured on June % was So
$50 qc gallons and that the daily average
through the year was 49,075-z90 gallons
Colonel Miller says that this eXtravagant
waste OF water has become a serious
menace to the supply Of water by the
Washington Aqueduct, which has a ca
pacity Of 76.e136l1 gallons per day Colo
ueI Miller seems TO see in the distance
the arrival Of the time when the use Of
water in the District viii overtax the IA
cilities now in existence TO supply II He
shows that the average daily consumption
Of water II the District IS 195 gallons,
while in ether cities 1t is onIy 100 per
diem
i prominent resident Of the city speak
ing OF Colonel AIiner's report this morn
ing said that it did not indicate certain
facts which explain TO a large extent why
Washington uses more water per capital
than some other cities. What other city
ia the United States has tenth part Of
the public buildings that Washington
has2' asked this citizen. Every one Ct
them are vast users Of water Take the
State, War. and Navy Building. fOT ex-
ample Every floor, and almost every
room. in the building is supplied with Wa
ter ard the syiggots are running some
where all the time In the basement are
fifty flushing closets which consume thou
sands Of gallons of water every twenty
four hours And SO II is IN kind. if not
in degree. in an the public buildings.
There IS an enormous amount Of what
AlIDLel Al-AlEI t-L4$ reckless vase 'fb
water going on al the White House IN
the spriukIiug OF tho grounds and In 9th
ct uses. Take the consumption of water
in the public buildings, together with
that used the public fountains and 1t is
no wonder that the figures are high Pos
sibIy there is a larger per capita use OF
water IL Washington than III other cities.
for We have good many acres Of park
ing 10 keep wet. but ] do not think Uhe
public officials who have charge Of the
water supply should Try to conceal in
s+heir figures the excess Of water con
sumed IN The public buildings when they
foot up the average Of per capita use Of
the Potomac water
William a. Mcfarland, Superintendent
Of the Water Department Of the District.
said today that The consumption Of water
in Washington was uaquestionably large
in comparison with other srftles. apart
from the use Of water in the public build
ings. He pointed out that the high serv-
Zee above ninety feet does not 90 into a
single public building. and there the daily
consumption and waste is f50 gallons per
capita Mr.. Mcfarland is OF the opinion
that every house in the District should
be supplied with a meter n the same
manner as with gas meter by the water
department, and the property charged
MiIh the exact amount Of water used
above minimum amount which has been
found by experience TO be what Is re-
quired for domestic purposes.
In speaking Of the proposed installation
Of the filtration plant Mr.. Mcfarland said
that il would be necessary 70 increase
the rate of water rent as soon as the I'll
tration began. as the revenues Of the de-
T,artment would not then pay the cost
Of supplying the water He thought that