Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1916-12-15
Water Extensions PIans Progress.

-s ava ehC CAeCLlolOu VI DlStElCI Wdtel
and sewers to adjacent communities il
Montgomery and Prince Georges countie.
are rapidly nearing completion.
The Geological Survey, the District Com.
missioners. the members Of the Washing.
ton Suburban Sanitary Commission, the
joint study board created by the last Mary.
land Legislature for survey of the prob
lem. the Maryland Board of Health, and
the authorities Of the municipalities to be
served are all cooperating to secure an
early and equitable solution of the problem.
This was learned from William T. Curtis
chairman Of the Washington Suburban
Sanitary Commission.
Legislation authorizing the extension of
the sewers was secured at the last session
Of Congress, and the District sewers now
under construction are being built suffi-
clently large to accommodate the Mary
land communities.
A bill authorizing the extension of the
District water is now before the Commits
sioners.
The pending measure provides that the
cost Of connections and maintenance is to
be paid by the community served and that
charges be fixed by the Commissioners.
A favorable public sentiment is being
manifested both in the District and in
Maryland toward the project.
Fxnarfo noinfad onk hat tha t,.,, ,n,o;ao1a
necessarily 90 hand in hand. and that the
value of each is depended to large de-
gree on the other.
Although bond issue for the construc-
ton of 3,500.000-eallon reservoir at
Takoma Park was authorized some time
ago by residents of that municipality, the
mayor and council are awaiting the out
come of the present negotiations before
issuing the bonds
Other communities are likewise marking
time.
A thorough survey of the whole Wash
ington suburban sanitary district has just
been completed by the members of the
commission.
I'VE have been over every corner of the
district" said Chairman Curtis. from Lit
tie Falls brook to 0xon run. and have sec ured
accurate elevations and pressures so that
we are now ready to discuss the matters
from any angle"
The other members of the commission
are J. William Boeley and T. Howard
bucket.
Robert B. Morse. chief engineer of the
Maryland State Board of Health. has been
appointed engineer to the commission
and has collected considerable data show
ing the necessity for the water extension,
as well as the fact that the increased bur-
den upon the Districts supply will be very
small
Both Chairman Curtis and Engineer
Morse are recognized as authorities upon
the question Of water supply and sewerage
in the territory to be served in Maryland.
Chairman Curtis urges the water extern
sion because the present supply in the
sanitary district, although wholesome. is
limited. He calls attention to the fact
that the largest stream in the district is
Rock Creek. and that if the Maryland au-
thorities are compelled to impound the
water of Rock Creek the beauty of Rock
Creek Park will be impaired.
"A large portion of Prince Georges and
counties especially that Dor
dsring on the District line lies within what
is geologcally known as the Piedmont
Plateau consisting Of broken up or scanned
granite gneiss, distinguished from the Po-
tomac formation of sand and clay in the
Coastal Plain" said Chairman Curtis.
This demonstrates that the volume is
limited by reason Of the geological condi-
ions at the source. and whether or not it
IS sufficient for present needs depends upon
or not the season is dry. Any mate
-ial increase in the number of wells driven
INTO this rock formation will necessarily
diminish the individual supply"
Engineer Morse now reports to the com.
mission that but 100000 gallons day
will be used by the Maryland territory to
be served under the proposed extension in
1920, and from two to two and a half
million in 1880.
Chairman Curtis believes that the small
additional burden upon the Districts sup
ply, which would be imposed by the ex-
tension. would be nearly made up by the
saving to the District recently effected by
the installation Of water meters.
THE report Of the water supply COM
mittee Of the Washington Board of Trade.
approved in May. showed that during the
past year 6.273 meters were installed in
the District, making a total number OF
meters now in use of 48.4ll. which is said
to cover about 10 per cent Of the total
number Of services. said Chairman Curtis.
The report states that by the one years
daily saving OF 100000
gallons had been effected.
IF only 70 per cent of the services in
the District of Columbia have been metered.
and the installation Of 6.273 meters last
year saved $4,000 gallons daily. it fol-
lows that for many years to come there
will be an abundance of water so that the
amount required to supply the communi-
ties in question would not be a serious
burden to the District.
SHOULD that period ever arrive when
natural demands have been greatly in
creased we can rest assured that the
present District system will be largely
augmented by an increased service from
Great Falls or from the Patuxent river.
war On English Sparrow.