Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-03
THE WATER SERVICE
INSPECTIONS MADE DURING THE
PAST FISCAL YEAR.
Record Kept Of Leaky Faucets by the
Inspectors Number Of
Water Users.

Following the report Of Water Registrar
karpeles, printed In The Star exclusively
yesterday. inquiry was made at the regis
trar's office today concerning the LAG. s12
inspections which had been made by at
taches of the water Office during the year
ended June 30. Mr.. karpeles said that the
records Of his office showed about $4,000
open accounts at this date, that Is, $4,000
houses in the District Of Columbia in which
water from the District mains Is used
From this, however" Mr.. Karpeles said,
must be deducted about 1000 houses which
have been demolished in the course Of con-
struction of the new union station and its
approaches. and which we have as yet
been unable to completely classify. We
now estimate that there are 5000 houses
In the city using water"
From this showing 1t is plainly evident
that each house within the District Is
visited by the water department inspec-
tors at least twice, and sometimes three
times, within a year. The water registrar
today said that this was the case. From
long experience the inspectors have grown
to count, almost to certainty. on find
ing leaky water fixtures in every fifth
house on their daily round. Sometimes
there are many two and three leaky
fixtures in one house, and this reduces
the average SO that 1t is set down as a
rule by the water department that there
Is an average of one leaky faucet or pipe
for onef fourth Of the water users cata-
logued in their department.
Work Described.
In describing the work of his department
In his annual report, which was submitted
to the Commissioners yesterday, Registrar
Karpeles said:
For the purpose of house to house in
spection, the District is divided into sec
tiCns and an inspector assigned to each.
He is required to follow the squares In
numerical order, always beginning a ne"
one at the northeast corner and working
theEce west south, east and north TO the
point of beginning. He is further required
to register each day before beginning work
the square or squares to be covered that
day, and his morning report of previous
days work must show each house In It's
regular order and the time of making each
tenth inspection. He must also serve notice
OF the occupant Of house where leak
ia found. The reports are checked daily
with the office records, and any d1screpan-
cies are noted and investigated, while the
leaks found are indexed by the card-record
system and followed until repaired or until
the water is cut off for noncompliance
with order to have defects remedied.
LAS stated, the first notice is served on
the consumer, the second, about three DAYS
later If the leak or waste continues, upon
the agent or owner, and, upon third in
spection, in cases Of no action, the supply
is stopped.
In cases Of waste the consumer is
warned that a REPETITION of the offense will
be followed by a stoppage of the supply,
and the case is then noted and kept under
observation.
During the year closed leaks were found
In 49, 297 premises. About March l, 1905, the
inspection force was equipped with water
phones. to ascertain not only where visible
leaks existed, but to discover those under-
ground. The results have been encouraging.
for, of the 1897 premises with leaks,
nearly 60 per cent were detected during
the last four months Of the fiscal year.
More than 30 per cent of the leaks are
repaired upon the first notice and the de-
partment is required to cut off less than
10 per cent for failure to make repairs"
The total revenues for the past year were
Sa95, 1876 81 For the present fiscal year they
are estimated at SAIL 600