Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-25
HOW WATER IS WASTED
Comment of Colonel Smith s.
Leach.
In CHARGE OF SUPPLY
HALF OF THE SUPPLY AN mex
CUSABLE WASTE.
Runs Out at Night as Well as in the
Day Time-His Con-
illusions.
In CHARGE OF SUPPLY

Commenting on the statements made I'm
his annual report regarding the extrava-
CANT consumption and waste of Potomac
water, Col. Smith S. Leach, Corps of En-
gineers, the officer in charge of the water
supply system, gives several interesting de-
tails that have not yet appeared in the
newspapers.
Hitherto criticisms of the per capita
consumption of water in the District says
Col. Leach. have been met by intimations
that most of the surplus goes into federal
buildings or out of public fountains on fed
eral reservations. The quantity of water
used by the United States may now be
closely estimated at 10O00O00 gallons per
diem based on actual meterings by the
District authorities at a majority of the
points of consumption. TO give the water
takers the benefit of every doubt, 1t may
be assumed that this consumption is pecu-
liar to this city and finds no counterpart
In any other American city of similar size.
Excluding this 10, 000.0 600 gallons from the
total consumption and taking the popula-
ton of 1865 from the police census. per
capita consumption of ITO gallons results
1T Is a waste of effort to discuss the
question whether such per capita use is
legitimate. 1t is well known that about
one-half of 1t is inexcusable waste, and
tiidt CplicluSiofi IL SuppOTteu not only ny
statistics of consumption In other cities.
but also by internal evidence from the rec
ords of supply to this city. 1t needs no
superior perception to recognize waste,
when the measured supply to a purely resi-
Dental district is nearly as great from
midnight to am from noon to pm.
and when the minimum In any hour of the
twenty-four is 80 per cent of the maximum
supply in any hour of the same day. When
an increased supply of 80, 600, 900 gallons is
suddenly demanded during an unusually
cold spell in winter it is impossible to avoid
the conclusion that that quantity Is DELHI
erately wasted through fixtures left run
ming to avoid freezing; and when a similar
though smaller jump Is coincdent with a
hot, dry spell In summer the abuse of the
hose privilege is the only rational expIana-
ton. The average water -taker can quickly
verify the fact of waste by inspection
of his own premises. and he may safely
conclude that what is going on there is re-
peated in thousands of other premises.
Adequacy of Supply.
Hitherto the waste has not seriously
threatened the adequacy of supply or ma
terially affected its cost, though during
part of the last winter the situation as to
quantity was acute and, for short time.
dangerous. From January 25 to February
% the waste was so excessive that on one
date, February 16 the quantity used and
wasted was 103,000.000 gallons; on another
cate, the 18th of February, 101, OOO, 600 gal
Ions. and on fourteen other days during the
period indicated between 90.O0U, 900 and 1Oo,-
100000 gallons. AS a result of this waste
the reservoirs We're depleted until the total
reserve capacity was but one-third of the
normal and less than two days supply.
This. Notwithstanding the fact that the
lowering of the reservoirs enabled the con-
duit to discharge the unprecedented guam
tity of 91,000,0U0 gallons. At it's lowest stage
the distributing reservoir contained sixteen
inches of ice and four feet of water, or
seven feet less than it should have con-
tanned.
Though this situation was unprecedented
and was passed without disaster. no risk
OF its recurrence can be accepted, because
the next winter will find new limitations
imposed, both as to supply and cost The
filtration plant. which will be put into OPP
Grafton before the next winter. has a maxi
mum capacity of 1900 900 gallons per diem.
This capacity certainly cannot be exceeded
during prolonged cold weather without
serious diminution In the purity of the eff
fluent. Any excess of supply over 750uO,U0
gallons must, after filtration begins, be OBJ
tanned by the introduction of unfiltered
water into the mains, or in other words by
deliberate rePollution of the purified sup
ply. Such a course could be justified only
in an emergency which no other possible
measures could avert. Under any other cir
cumstances 1t will be a crime against the
public health, not punishable perhaps, but
no less crime.
Question of Cost.
1.-THE question of cost is also worth con-
sideration. In the future every gallon of
water wasted will mean a certain quantity
of money wasted. which has not heretofore
been the case. The total cost of filtration
will be about Sc per million gallons. A
daily waste of 10000 600 gallons means a
daily useless draft of $40 on the revenues
of the water department. In the past the
question of the prevention of waste has
been ignored. postponed or evaded. because
IL was possible to do 1t Is no longer
possible. Measures of gradual. progressive
application In term of years offer no re-
can be completely applied In a term of
months. or better, of weeks. This condition
excludes meters. which, II all opposition to
them were withdrawn. would require sew
eral years for their complete installation.
THE choice appears to be restricted to
two methods-to reduce the pressure in the
mains or to seek out individual cases of
waste and reduce the pressure on the
premises. The former method impairs the
fire protection and inflicts punishment on
offending and non-Offending users alike 1t
does particular injustice to metered users.
The second OF the above methods namely,
the location OF individual cases OF waste and
the reduction of pressure on the premises,
does not seem to be open to any serious OBJ
lection. 1t Is troublesome. probably some
what costly and domiciliary in character.
but well within the reasonable scope Of the
operations Of municipal government. IL
enabling legislation Is necessary IN this
particular case 1t should be sought at the
first opportunity. Methods of waste pre-
vention involving information by water of1
Gals and punishment by judicial process.
have been tried here, and have failed They
should not be repeated"
Women Accused of Assault.