Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-30
INSTALLATION OF METERS
SYSTEM FOR GAUGING CONSUME
TON OF WATER.
Mcfarland Notes
Progress in Work-Cost to Con-
sumner May Be Increased.

The District water department reports
having made great progress in the work Of
installing water meters in the District
With small force of workmen and a very
limited sum Of money with which to work
the department has succeeded in covering
considerable territory in the last year.
Ihere are at the present time 6, 735 meters
In operation, and by this time next year
there Will be more than 1900 Of the meters
IN use, according to w. M. Mcfarland, SUI
perintendent of the water department.
Mr. Mcfarland says the meters are being
well received by the persons upon whose
premises they have been installed, and he
Is confident that when the entire city has
been covered there will be a great saving
OF water which is now 'shamefully vast
ed, as he termed 1t. AS a matter Of fact.
II Is stated, It was to eliminate this waste
of water that the installation of meters
was decided upon by the Commissioners.
Mr.. Mcfarland said today that unless
some drastic steps are taken and the waste
checked this city will experience a disas-
trous water famine.
In illustration of the amount of water
wasted Mr.. Mcfarland stated that he in
augurated an Underground survey" q year
ago for the purpose of detecting the exact
amount Of waste from leaks in mains and
pipes distributing water, and as a result
he estimates the daily waste from this
cause to be approximately 10000 gallons q
day. This amount may appear trivial when
the total amount of the Districts daily
water supply Is taken into consideration,
but to experts, and when the cost OF water,
estimated at cent per 1000 gallons, is con-
sldered, the amount Of waste is looked upon
as enormous and alarming. Mr.. Mcfarland
stated that most of the waste was detected
in service pipes and very little In the water
mains This does not include the unneces-
sary use of water nor the leaky spigots in
~, III
Prevention Of Waste.
The installation of meters, he said, has
for its chief purpose the checking of waste.
The general public did not welcome the an
nouncement that meters would be installed
in their houses, when informed that in the
future they would be charged according to
the exact amount Of water used as shown
by the registration of the meter. In the
meantime the public has changed its
views, Mr.. Mcfarland says, and in very
few instances are complaints heard: He is
at work installing meters in Brookland, and
has not received a kick from any one.
Regarding the payment Of water bills con-
siderable inquiries have been received at
have water meters in their homes The
chief question is when do we begin pay
ing for water at the water-meter rate?'
According to Supt Mcfarland, all per-
sons who had meters installed in their
homes prior to July l last, the beginning
of the present fiscal year, will pay their
water bills this year according to the reg
istration Of the meter Those who have
had meters installed since July l and who
will have between now and the end Of the
present fiscal year, will pay according to
the regular water rate, until the beginning
of the next fiscal year, despite the fact that
the meter may be in operation at their re-
spective homes.
According to Mr.. Mcfarland the use Of
meters will make the cost of water trife
higher.