Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-24
ALARMING CONDITION
Picture of Local Water Sup
ply Drawn.
BY COL. SMITH s. LEACH
CONSUMPTION AND WASTE DUR
ING MONTH OF JUNE.
Appropriation Needed to Prevent
Shortage in Local supply
Extravagant Use.

Col. Smith s. Leach the engineer officer
in charge of the water supply system of
the District draws an alarming picture of
the condition of the water system in his
annual report of operations submitted to
Gen. Mackenzie, chief of engineers, today,
and makes an urgent appeal for an appro-
priation for sSary surveys for an adj
ditiOnal conduit from Great Falls In order
to guard against the ever present possibility
of an interruption in the present system
which might entirely cut off the supply of
water to the people of the District
Measurement of the consumption and
waste of water. made In the month of
June" says Col. Leach. Showed a total
consumption and waste of 6S000, 900 gallons.
This is the largest measurement yet made
and shows that the extravagant use of
water Is still increasing. The quantity of
water used by the United States in the
FEDERAL buildings and reservations may now
be closely estimated at 10,O00,O00 gallons
per day. based on the actual metcrinss by
the District authorities at majority of the
points of consumption. Excluding this 10,
100000 gallons from the total consumption
and taking the population of 1908 from the
police census, a per capita consumption of
40 gallons results, about one-half of which
must be attributed to inexcusable waste.
The measured supply to purely residential
4 am. from noon to 4 pm. During the
cold weather in February the quantity used
and wasted, varied from 90,OW.0O0 to 1O3,-
100000. The reservoirs were depleted until
the total reserve capacity was but one
third of the normal and less than two days
supply. Notwithstanding the fact that the
cCrdISt discharged the unprecedented guam
tty of v.000.0G0.
Filtration Plant.
1.-The filtration plant, which will be put IN
operation before the next winter, has
n aximum capacity of 75.000,O00 gallons per
diem. Amy excess of this amount must be
supplied by the introduction of unfiltered
water into the MAINS in other words, by
deliberate repCiution of the purified supply.
The total cost of filtration will be about
So per million gallons. \ daily waste of
40,OO,CO0 gallons means a daily useless
draft of $40 on the revenues of the water
department.
1t is no longer possible to evade the ques-
ton of the prevention of waste. Measures
are required which can be completely APP
piled in term of weeks. The reduction of
the pressure in the mains would impair the
fire protection and nfict punishment on
offending and non-offending users alike. To
locate waste and reduce the pressure on the
individual premises does not seem open to
serious objection. If enabling legislation is
necessary it should be sought at the earliest
opportunity.
The conduit from Great Falls to George
town was built nearly fifty years ago. At
tention is invited to the danger of an inter
ruption of the supply by accident to the
conduit. This structure has stood. for near
ly half a century and without interruption
in its use other than to empty it periodically
for cleaning. This fact is no guarantee
that it will not be interrupted IN the future
1t includes six tunnels, aggregating 3. 100
linear feet in seamy rock and unlined.. They
cannot be lined until a new conduit is built
At every cleaning fragments of rock are
found to have been dislodged from the roof
There is an appreciable risk of more and
larger pieces falling in. sufficient TO block
the tunnel for considerable time There
are twenty-sfx culvertS. nearly all in made
ground. the failure of any one of which
would break the conduit. They are OF mas
sive construction. but equally strong ones
have been washed out, and these may be-
The distributing reservoir is formed by
ar earthen dam across a valley. In this
dam is the by-conduit. If this dam should
break the by-conduit would be destroyed
and the supply of the District completely
cut off.