Evening star., 1920-04-06
D c. OFFICIALS SEE
INJUSTICE |NHOUSE
WATER RENT PLAN
Point to Need for More
Equitable Upkeep System
of Local Supply.

Injustice will be done to the people
of Washington if the District appro-
priation bill is finally enacted with
the House provision for a Is per cent
increase in water rents. in the opinion
Of District officials.
The proposal OF the House to In
crease tho water biiis II the local res-
idents by more than 100000 has en-
phasized the co9tention Of j. s.. Gar
land. superfnt4 ~ I6s 5SiRfafH sfi&.
partment. that more equitAbi4. plan
for the upkeep OF the water system
is needed. e 3r.5Ssss y .-.rs-s.,ssl =
The heads Of the water department.
believe that the Washington aqueduct,
which brings the city's water in from
Great Falls, should be maintained
Jointly by the United States and Dis
trict governments.
This. Mr.. Garland points out. would
leave the revenue which the water
department receives from the private
consumers free to be used in the lay
ing Of new mains and extensions.
Money Needed for New Mains.
Not only do the United States and
District governments use, free Of
charge, half of all the water consumed
in the District. but during the last
three years Congress has taken more
than half million dollars Of the wa
ter departments funds and applied it
to, the upkeep Of the aqueduct and
filtration plant. This was money paid
by the householders of the city and
was sorely needed by the water de-
partment for the laying OF new trunk
mains.
In the annual report of the water
department for 1918 Supt. Garland
said:
The department has done eyery-
thing possible during the fiscal year to
prevent waste of water. but with very
poor results. The per capita consump-
ton cannot be given owing to lack of
information As to the population OF
the District Of Columbia: however, the
year was 6s,606.s7o gallons, while for
the year ended June 80. 1917, 1t was
81, ,454,0 900 gallons. This increase Of
practically 100000 gallons per day
is mainly owing to the increase in
population, but to some extent to
non compliance with requests from
water department officials to officers
in charge of federal and municipal
institutions that are using large guam
titles OF water and wasting a great
deal more than they should.
Charge Both Governments.
"1n my opinion the only practical
method of preventing this waste is to
charge both governments for water
used above a fair PERCENTAGE on their
investment in the aqueduct and ffltra-
tion plants and a portion of the dis
tributing system OF the water depart
ment; then when bills are presented to
the authorities In charge of those va
rious departments and institutions it
will give them an opportunity to in
vestigate and stop the waste in those
places. This scheme is a perfectly
feasible one and should be put into
after ascertaininR the value
less depreciation. Of the sum spent for
work by the aQueduct
office, the District government and the
water department.
after ascertaining this valuation,
which, in my opinion, should be made
by parties not connected with any of
the above named departments. a fair
the valuation and water allowed for
this amount. The water used over this
should be charged for at the
SAND price the citizens Of the District
have to pay. Necessarily. If the above
outlined plan receives the approval
of the Commissioners OF the District
Of Columbia. it would also have to be
authorized by the Congress of the
United States before becoming effec-
tive"
Mentioned in 1910 Report.
In his report for 1919 Supt. Garland
again referred to this recommenda-
tion, saying, in part:
I'm my report for last year a meth
cd was outlined for an equitable ar
rangement for payment for water
used and to prevent it's waste by gov
ernment ana District departments by
charging said departments for all
water used. Evidently this idea was
not acceptable to Congress.
when, however, 1t Is brought to
the attention Of Congress that only
District Is paid for, 1t would appear
to the fair-minded that Congress
would not allow such d state of at
fairs to exist. and would insist upon
a plan whereby everyone who used
water would ray for it: especially
available that the relative amounts
invested In the construction of the
water distribution system Of the Dis
trict are as follows:
paid by the United States, $7.561.-
009.10; by the District government.
$2.60l2643O, and by the water de-