The Washington times., 1906-04-27
A Serious Warning.

ItJdI AlllElL SA4ANo AhA POA AeAh'' No.
when he announces that the Dis
trict is in grave danger of exhaust
ing its water supply. What he has
to say is said plainly, as the fol-
lowing indicates:
1 do not wish 10 appear an alarmist,
but 1 believe that the time has passed
when any measures for increasing the
water supply of the District can be
adopted in season TO prevent probably
serious danger of a water famine
had hoped that the department would
secure the appropriation Of 100000
asked for this year with the District
estimates to push the already inaug-
urated work OF providing the city with
a complete water-metering system, but
in view Of the rejection by the House.
the proposition seems altogether hope
less.
IT must not be understood from
that quotation however, that the
superintendent regards an allow
ance of 100000 for meters as a
sufficient means OF preventing a
water famine Such an expenditure
would. ne says. meter only about
Is per cent of the buildings in
which water is used from the city
mains. His judgment is that moth
ing less than an effective metering
of the whole city Will safeguard the
Capital.
In the end three things viii have
to be done TO protect Washington's
water supply:
First-The waste by citizens must
be stopped. whether by a general
introduction of meters or some
other means.
Second-The waste by the several
departments must be stopped.
Third-A second conduit must
be built which will approximately
double the supply.
# the two measures first named
are adopted. the third may be de-
ferred. But if nothing is done at
all, if not even Is per cent of our
buildings can be metered, then, as
suming that the superintendent has
not overstated his case, we must
face a prospect of the utmost
seriousness.
Our daily consumption of water
is given as about 65,OOO.OOO gallons
That is at the rate of about 22O
gallons for every man, woman, and
Child-a rate unnecessarily and eX-
travagantly high. The average per
capita consumption of water in
other cities is 80 gallons. The ex-
cess here in Washington is to be
ascribed TO generous actual use
Of water by citizens, the waste of
wafer by the executive departments,
and the waste of water by citizens
10 keep pipes from freezing in the
winter, and water cool in the
summer.
1t IS, Of course, the duty of every
householder, including the Govern
ment. to lessen that waste by every
reasonable economy. Inside pipes
are not likely to freeze in this
climate. Surely it is not necessary
TO run off ten gallons in order TO
get n cool glass of water in the
summer. And the Government
buildings need not run the water all
the time for any purpose.
But voluntary care cannot be re-
lied upon in such a matter The
whole burden of averting a water
famine cannot be put on the careful
citizen. Compulsion must make
every citizen watchfuI. whether he
be ordinarily careful or not. The
best form of compulsion is pocket
book comPulsion-and that, in this
instance, is provided by meters
What Congress ought to do. there
fore, is to provide the city with
meters without further delay, and
by some effective means stop the
waste in the departments. Meters
can easily be made to pay for them
selves. The immediate outlay, even
if it reaches a total of $500 900. car
thus be undertaken with little hest
fancy. If the superintendent's es
innate is sound it ought to be un
dertaken at once. In any event, al
allowance of 500, 900 would be f;
long step in the right direction
There is not only no good reason
why il should be withheld but ever,
good reason why it should b.
granted.