The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-06-06
MUST EXPAND
CITY'S WATER
SYSTEMSOON
Chief Of Engineers and D. C.
Chiefs Urge Prompt Action to
Avert Famine.
By BILL PRICE.

The chief of engineers of the army
and the Commissioners Of the District
are unanimous in the conclusion that
II Will be necessary for Cogress short
'ly to take action for increasing the
water supply of Washington; that IL
viii be dangerous to postpone this
past another fscal year, and that it
VIII be impossible to wait until a
permanent plan Of increase Scan be
decided upon and appropriations OBJ
tanned for the purpose.
The chief Of engineers has frequent
. ~ reported to the Secretary Of War
and Congress that the safe daily ca
lpacity Of the water system supplying
! the District is IS, 100000 gallons, with
a maximum capacity Of rs. 0O0, 900 gal
= Ions. The latter is the maximum of
the conduit system bringing the water
from Great Falls to the filtration
agencies in the city, the filtration
plant having a capacity OF 10000, 900
gallons
The safe capacity of the system Is
passed every day in the summer, and
on several days recently the consump-
ton reached pretty close to the maxi
mum capacity, carrying q threat that
Congress and the engineers Of the
army cannot longer disregard
COnszmPtion During Hot spen.
During the recent hot spell the
consumption has bounded upward so
fast that for June the total was H.
9 600 900 gallons, causing the Commits
sioners TO adopt regulations prohib-
lifting unnecessary waste and the
watering Of sidewalks. For the
.tWenty-four hours ending at s A n.
to-day the consumption was 1856, 900.
Water officials Of the District fear
that should there be q protracted hot
spell this summer, the maximum ca
pacity- % the plant will be reached,
and with It the danger point to the
city.
The daily average per capita con-
sumption 81. water in the District Is
about 140 gallons In 1908, before
water meters were put in the per
capita consumption was go gallons.
There IL still great waste Of water in
Government departments, In public !
schools. and elsewhere
Dangerous by Next summer.
It is the opinion Of Colonel Kutz,
Engineer Commissioner, that some
thing should be done to obtain an
increase Of water BY next summer,
but the Commissioners are not the |
ones to put the subject before Con- |
gress. The water system is controlled |
by the War Department, under the |
chief Of engineers The District gov |
eminent merely takes charge of the (
Distribution Of water when II gets |
TO the filtration plants.
Congressman Zihlman Of Maryland 4
has before Congress a bill which has /
strong support creating a commission /
Of hve members to investigate the !
sources Of water supply for the Dis
trict, with the view Of increasing the
supply so that neighboring suburban
"a - - - ~
served along with Washington. These
towns are included in the territory
embraced in the Jurisdiction Of the
Washington Suburban Sanitary Com
mission, provided by the Maryland
legislature, and all Federal military
reservations. The commission is t.
report TO the Secretary OF War, who
will submit it to Congress.
This commission, however, Is an
uncertain affair at this time. and its
plans, even If il is created. might
take years to put into execution.
Relief in the near future is a ne
eessity and must not be delayed.
The Marshall Plan.
Gen William l. Marshall, former
chief Of engineers, at present con-
sulting engineer of the Reclamation
Service Of the Interior Department,
recently submitted an emergency
plan Tor economically increasing the
water supply pending adoption OF
permanent plans. He was chairman
Of q departmental committee, repre-
Senting the Interior. Treasury. War
and Navy Departments, appointed to
consider the water situation here.
His recommendations went to these
General MArshalls plan, briefly
stated, is TO increase the 10000, 900
gallons flowing tArougN the conduit {
from Great Falls by pumping 2O,OOO,-
600 daily from the Potomac near
Little Falls into the Dale CarIia res
ervoir, and adding one pumping unit |
TO the filtration plant The capacity ]
Of the Dale Carlia reservoir would be
increased to meet the situation.
General Marshall estimates that the {
total cost for construction work in
providing the increase of 10000 900 ]
gallons daily would be 5000. 900, not !
including increased cost Of operation '
General Marshall reports that the S
work could be done in a year without
to the existing methods '