Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-03-29
W ATE:.R|' R COMP ANY
MAKES DENIAL
Attorneys File Answer With
Corporation Com
mission
THE CHARTER is CITED
Water Declared to Be Healthful, Con-
tanning Nothing in the Nature Of
Bacteria.

In a sweeping denial of the charg-
es of the water consumers of Alex
andria city and county who petitioned
the State Corporation Commission
to compel the company to furnish
more and better water. and to reduce
its rates, the Alexandria Water Com
pany, through its attorneys Col.
Francis L. Smith and Gardner l..
Boothe, filed it's answer yesterday
with the commission in Richmond.
The commission named Charles M.
Broun, of Roanoke, as special agent
to come to Alexandria, investigate
the water company and take testi-
mony of the water consumers who
complain of the service.
In it's answer the company cites
the charter which was granted to
it by an act of the state legislature IN
1850 and denies that the commission
has any power to exercise jurisdiction
over and regulation of the water CON-
pany. 1t denies that it has monopoly
of supplying water Co the people OF
Alexandria and declares that the
same can be and is being furnished
by other parties.
In reference to the purity OF the
water the company states that since
June 1914, it has established chlo-
rine plant for the purpose Of destroy
ing and bacteria or deleterioas sub
stance that might be in the water, but
states that there is no such bacteria
as the water is pure, healthful ano
fit for use. The company states that
this is supported by chemical analy-
ses which are made frequently by an
expert bacteriologist.
Reference is made to the new reser-
voir and dam, built at a cost OF 9zoo,-
600. as an answer to the statement
that there is not sufficient supply
Of water. This new work gives a stor'
age capacity of 900 million gallons,
sufficient to supply the cit yof Alex
andria with one years consumption
and the company says that as soon
rs its financial condition will per-
NIT this reservoir will be connect
ed with the city supply. 1t declares
that there is mo city in the United
States with a population Of the size
of the city of Alexandria which en-
! lows so large, full and ample flow
of healthy water as the city OF Al
exandria." "s SH
Tn answer to the statement that
the pressure is so low that the water
will not flow to the second stores OF
houses when water s,n the first foor
is flowing the company declares tha'
this is caused by the size OF the
mines within the houses and not from
any lack of water or pressure.
The statement is made by the
companv that the claim in reference
to the high portion er the cit ynot BE-
ing supplied with water because they
are higher than the reservoir Is mel
bv the announcement: that the com
pany has purchased the high service
system of the Rosemont Development
! Co.. on King street extended IRON
which it proposes to supply the con
sumers of Rosemont and Georg'
/ Washington Park as desired.
The company makes compiet
denial of the statement that sufficlen
water is not furnished for fire pro
lection owning to the size OF tn
: mains. 1t declares that the mains ar
of sufficient size but if there is a lac
+, of water it is caused by the sma
openings from the mains, to the flr
hydrants. The company declares 1t
intention to construct a new Il INC
main on Madison street from Wash
: ington to Fairfax street which WI
/. augment the supply of water availabl
2 for fire use but is unable to do
: because of the failure of the city
grade Madison stree'.
The company declares that it is III
y able to make any plans for furnish
r ing water for the annexed territor
until the city has designat4a tn