Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-07

service has lately been extended to
numerous suburban settlements and this
work will continue. The number Of peo-
pie served with Potomac water through
mains is increasing so rapidly that soon
the number Of people drawing aoueduct
water and the population of the District
will be very nearly equal. The increase
in the water supply has been postponed
by the introduction of water meters and
the work Of the pitometer division in
detecting leaks and other wastage but
notwithstanding these measures and
other economies the maximum daily
capacity of the Washington aqueduct.
which is about 75OOO.OOO gallons. is being
overtaken by the consumption. Recently
there have been important extensions of
the water service in the sections of the
District beyond the Eastern branch and
the margin between the consumption of
water and the maximum supply possible
through the present conduit. margin
which has been dangerously small for
number of years. will be materially
diminished.
AS long ago as 1898 1t was reported by
the water supply committee of the Wash
ington Board of Trade that the increase
Of our water supply has for a long time
been one of the most urgent of our NUM-
cipal needs" and that lit has been found
necessary during the last three or four
years to emphasize the pressing necessity
of providing for a decided increase of khe
water supply Of the District by devothg
one or more evenings of the board each
year to hearing special reports upon
this subject and by this means fixing
public attention upon the danger of the
existing condition of things and also
creating sentiment to which Congress
might give thoughtful attention
The Board of Trade in 1900 again urged
the construction of a second aqueduct.
The average daily consumption was then
100000 gallons and the Board Of Trade
said that If the same rate of increase
in the use Of water continued in the
future as 1t had in the past the con-
sumption would reach the full dis
tributing capacity of the present plant
in 1910. In 1902 the War Department
asked for an appropriation of $1,000
with which to make a survey for a sec
ond conduit. but the appropriation was
not made. In the report of the Board Of
Trade for 1908 it is written that year
after year for the past five years appli
cation has been made for the sum needed
to make necessary surveys for a new
conduit" and that 1.-The Senate District
committee favored this appropriation at
the last session, but it was lost in the
final conference between the House and
Senate" Gen. John NJ. Wilson. in 1906,
wrote that ut is well known to all of
US that the time has come when surveys.
plans and estimates must be made for an
increased water supply and when prompt
measures shall be adopted to prevent
waste of water In 1908 Congress ap-
propriated for a second conduit survey.
and the work was done and report un-
favorable to the immediate construction
of another conduit was presented by Maj.
Jay J. Morrow. Engineer Commissioner
Of the District. The second conduit prop
osition has been pressed from time to
time to the stage OF surveys and official
report. but with the expanding population
and extension OF water service to out
lying areas the time cannot be far away
when a second conduit must be built