Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-18
CITY WATER SUPPLY
Origin and Progress of Local
Department Described.
APPROPRIATION IN 1850
Congress Sets Aside $500 for Elk.
animation and Survey.
EXTENT OF PRESENT SYSTEM
Practical Working Of the Meter in
Checking Notwithstanding
Methods Employed.

this city Of supply of water and the
methods which are followed In the ad-
ministration of the water department
were given in the course Of paper read
recently by Walter A. Mcfarland. the
superinte ndent of the water department.
before a meeting Of the local society of
engineers.
In 1850 he said. the first definite action
along this line was taken. when Congress
appropriated $500. to which the city sub
seouently added 81 600, to enable the war
Department ito make such examinations
and surveys as may be necessary to de-
termine the best and most available mode
of supplying the city OF Washington with
pure water, and to prepare plan and
estimate of the probable cost of same. y
January p 1851. the Secretary of War
submitted to Congress the report OF
Brevet Lieut.. Col. G. w. Hughes. Corps
of Typographical Engineers. which report
discussed two sources Of supply, the Pc
tcmac at Great Falls and Rock creek. but
owing 10 lack OF sufficient funds surveys
and detailed Investigations were confined
to Rock creek. Col. Hughes proposed by
building a Dam to obtain from Rock creek
a possible supply Of S.OO0.O gallons per
day and considered this adequate to sup
ply the city for the following fCrty Yeas.
OF untll 1SFl. ne population OF WASH
ington in 1851 was 1907. and ii was pro-
posed to supply 1.5O0.0OO gallons daily
or about thirty-seven gallons per capita.
Mr.. Mcfarland said the project and es-
innate for the present system. by which
wafer is brought to the city from the Po-
tomac at Great Falls, originated with
Capt. NJ. C. Meigs. Corps of Engineers
In the general appropriation bill approved
March 3. 1863, Congress appropriated
100000 for bringing water into Wash
ington upon such plans as the President
of the United States may approve" with
provision that If the water was taken
from any place within the limits Of Mary
land the consent of that state should frs:
be obtained. Capt Meigs' project was
adopted by the President
Original Plan.
This contemplated dam at Great Falls
with crest l43 feet above high tide at
Washington. circular conduit of brick
Q feet In diameter. with slope of ~,
inches per mile. and two reservoirs. the
first. or receiving reservoir to be formed
by damming Little Falls about AZ miles
above Washington, and the second. or
distributing reservoir, to be located on
the heights beyond Georgetown The
estimated daily capacity offs the aaueduct
as originally planned was 81, $50 600 GAL
Ions.
In 1856 the temporary dam above COINS
Island, on the west side OF the MARYLAND
channel was replaced by masonry
structure extending to the Virginia bank
Of the river to q level of 14S feet above
mean tide at, Washington. and In 1890
the crest of the dam was raised to &
height of $50 feet above the same datum.
Under the conditions the capacity OF the
conduit was found to be IS SOC, 900 gallons
per day when the water level in the dis
tributing reservoir was held at IA feet.
Distribution Methods.
Mr. Macfarland outlined the methods
employed in his department for the ex-
records, stating that the distribution
branch was divided into eight general
divisions. in which a total of 334 men were
employed. The routine business Of his
department. he said consists in taking
filtered water from the supply system and
delivering 1t TO the populace. He spoke
of the efforts to reduce the present enor-
nous waste OF water. and also to reduce
the cost Of its delivery TO consumers The
principal sources of waste he declared
to be underground leaks due to defective
pipe fittings: leaks above ground due
to the same causes. and wi!lful waste.
He referred to the various means used
TO locate and cure these losses. In cases
where the federal government offends in
the matter of waste Mr.. Mcfarland de-
cared that the best his department could
do was to request them to be good. but
the department had no authority to in
sist upon it. Referring to recently dis
covered underground leaks. Mr.. McFar-
land said that from December I to March
81 seventyzeight broken or defective serv-
ice pipes were located. the leakage from
which aggregated 100000 gallons per
day.
These leaks did not appear on the sur
face. and were only located through the
use Of a special apparatus which the SUI
perintendent described at some length,
Assuming, said Mr.. Mcfarland. that the
water was worth only cent per 200
gallons. the continuous daily saving from
this four months' work would be $3.50.
or $500 year, which. capitalized at 4
per cent. would represent an investment
of $4,000.
Prevention of Waste.
The work of detecting and correcting
the waste did not, Of course, cost the de-