The Washington times., 1919-12-01
OK. PATUXENT
RIVER WATER
FOR CAPITAL
D. c. Commissioners Join With
Chief of Army Engineers in
Fayoring Project.
By BILL PRICE.

By BILL PRICE.
That the additional water supply
% urgently needed by the District OF
Columbia may come from the Pa
tuxent river, and not from the Poto-
mac, today appeared more probable
than heretofore In the light Of the
action Of the District Commissioners
IN uniting with the chief of engineers
Of the army in recommending 1t above
all others.
Congress will decide the question,
bat having before IL favorable recon-
mendations for the Patuxent project
from both the War Department and
the District Commissioners. will
naturally give weight to this. COM
bination of engineering knowledge
and Judgment.
One serious drawback to the at
tainment of valuable engineering
projects for the District in the past
has been wide differences of opinion
among engineers and executive heads
This was notably true in the project
for developing electric power for
Warrington at Great Falls. In the
face of these differences Congress has
hesitated.
Csnnissisners Pleased
The Commissioners were pleased
today that the prospect of general
agreement on the Patuxent river
project appeared good, as that ought
to mean reasonably early action by
Congress In initiatory legislation that
win In a few years give Washington
soon be brought In
In their annual report. the Com
missioners state that while 1urisdic-
tion over the water supply system for
the District Is divided between the
chief of engineers and the Commits
stoners. the latter being responsible
only for the distribution of the water
after IL leaves the publication plant,
they feel II their duty to call the at
tention Of Congress to the situation
owing to the dangerously Increasing
consumption which last summer made
et necessary to restrict the use Of
water.
The Commissioners unhesitatingiy
AAll In line with Gen. william Il
black chief Of engineers. In favoring
the Patuxent project Their reasons
sre Substantially those Of General
Back.
The Patuxent project was proposed
IN considerable detail when Col W. C.
LAngintt was the engineer officer in
charge of the aqueduct and filtration
plant He saw the need then of TAX
ing early steps to provide more water
for the District
This plan proposed to provide about
$4,000, 900 gallons daily of additional
water for Washington by constructing
. huge dam across the Patuxent river
1T q point near Laurel, Md. The
scheme was to bring the water into
the District through steel pipe lines,
enc Of which, with a carrying capac-
ity OF 100000 gallons daily, would
b built now and provision made for
another line OF the same capacity
later on
The lines would almost parallel
tAe Washington Baltimore pike. COM
ing through the prosperous commu-
mites along the electric railway and
steam railroad between here and Bal
timorc-
Qaestfss Of Ffftraffsa.
Colonel Kutz, who 10 now Engineer
Commissioner OF the DISCREET sue
ceeded Colonel Langifitt as the en-
gfneer in charge of the water-supply
system leading into Washington. He.
too. studied the water situation here
and came to the conclusion that the
Patuxtent project stood out above all
others In Its distinct advantages.
During Colonel Langfitts incum-
bency, however, there had not been
the great development since noted in
Maryland communities along the pro-
posed pipe line, and the demand of
those communities for water supplies.
Mt Rainier. situated at the District
line, has become q large town since
that time and is now spending money
for Its own water system.
The Langfitt plan proposed to bring
the Patuxent water into the District
and filter IL In the existing filtration
beds. This would necessitate send
ing the filtered water back to these
communities at very great cost, when
engineers have now decided that IL
could BE filtered at the dam at COM
paratively little cost and disposed of
to communities on the way into Wash
tngton
AAvs.tage II District.
There 10 an advantage to the DIS
trtct, too, In having the Patuxent
water purified at the site of the dam.
II would come In at higher elevation
than " purified In the present fi.tra-
eion plant and would permit increased
pressures In the gravity area, with
the possible elimination Of the pump
ing that Is now necessary In some OF
the pumping areas. about which busi-
ness men are complaining.
The Commissioners recommend H.
tratfon OF water at the proposed site
Of the dam
General Blacks annual report urges
iHmediate measures 90 increase the
water supply here. and presents the
various projects that appear to stand
out a. best. OF these he says there
are two feasible projects from the
Potomac river. One Is the construc-
ticn Of dam near the Chsin bridge;
the other q conduit paraiieiinx the
present aaueduct from Great Fails.
He regards AL three As neritortous.
The two Potomac river projects
weeId cost less than the Patuxent
project. but the operating costs. after
would favor the Patux-
ct project
rotoxeat Aavantagea.
0easraI Black nnds that the Patux.
~ 1vsr prs5set would bring . better