Evening star., 1918-06-11
Commissioners Consider Sus-
pension of Present Au-
th0rization.
CITYS BIG POPULATION
CONSUMES THE SUPPLY
Meters on Government Buildings
Planned to Stop Great
Wastage.

Suspension Of the plan authorized by
Congress for furnishing of water by
the District to adjacent Maryland COM
munities may be recommended by the
Commissioners until such time as local
consumption Of water is materially de-
creased or the supply increased.
In view Of the approximately 10000
ooo-gallon increase in consumption over
last year, the Commissioners are in
clined to oppose any plan at present
that will draw on washington's water
supply for a single gallon.
While thoroughly approving Secre-
tary Bakers recommendation to Con-
gress yesterday that government de-
partments be metered- to prevent
wastes, the Commissioners are study
ing closely the other recommendation
of the Secretary that an appropriation
be made for installing a ten-inch
main across Key bridge for the pur-
pose Of supplying water to federal
reservations on the Virginia side of
the river.
Consumption Grows at Fort MyeY.
The District already Is supplying
water to Fort Myer, under an agree
ment, 1t Is said, that called for not
more than 10000 gallons daily. The
amount. actually furnished is said t, to
more than the District can afford to
spare with the supply barely sufficient
to meet its own demands.
Almost overnight the water supply
situation here has become acute. ana
the Senate committee which has the
District appropriation bill in hand is
expected to devise a plan that will
prevent a water famine.
1t is believed that the metering Of
federal buildings is one of the most
important things that can be done at
this time to prevent waste OF water.
When the Commissiopers estimates
were being gone over by the House
District appropriations co9asinnse eomIis5ee
Loving stated 1t was estimated that
the daily waste of water by govern
ment departments amounted to 4.00o.-
900 gallons.
$4,000, 900 Gallons Used Daily.
With consumption in the District now
approximately 65,000,000 gallons day.
WHICH AEiuy SISlucClS say 40 tAiC 6oiS
dependable capacity of the conduit. saw
ing Of 100000 gallons by checking
wastes in the federal departments might
be sufficient to prevent a serious water
shortage, it is pointed out.
Col Loving recommended that the
United States and the District be charg-
ed for the water they use. it being his
opinion that such an arrangement not
only would be fair to the people OF the
District, who use only 44.2 per cent OF
I'D ov,1 tn
entire expense Of the water system. but
that 1t would go far toward preventing
wastes in the government departments.
Col. Loving's Statement.
Under existing conditions" he
said, sit is impossible to obtain close
cooperation between officials OF the
federal government and officials OF
the District government In the mat
ter of the conservation of water. The
natural inclination Of the former Is to
resent what might be considered un-
warranted Interference on the part OF
the latter in the matter of plans for
adequate service, and the tendency,
on the part of the latter. is to op-
pose what they may consider unneces-
sary installations, which will lead to
excessive use of water. These mat
ters would automatically adjust them
selves were the various departments
charged for the water used"
The House bill did not adopt the
Loving recommendations nor did it
carry an item for the installation of
meters. which Secretary Baker now
requests be inserted in the bill to be
reported by the Senate committee.
The House bill would leave the water
department in practically the same
position it has been a year, with con-
sumption 100000 gallons more a
day and the danger of a water short
age daily becoming more acute.