Evening star., 1920-01-15
Potomac Power and Water Supply.

. By the terms of the Norris amend
ment, which the Senate has added to
the water power bill now before that
body, Il commission that is to be ere
atcd by appointment by the President
will undertake the construction of a
dam across the Potomac above Wash
ington for the primary purpose of
supplying power to the capital. The
Senate has refused to reconsider the
amendment or to adopt 4 substitute
proposing another survey, and II Is
thus virtually assured that the project
will be included in the bill as it goes
back to the House for conference.
Thus at last, after many delays, the
Potomac water power plan is in the
way of accomplishment. If this
amendment stands and carries through
to law, the Langftt project will be
executed at a cost not to exceed $25,
100000, all of which. so far as power
development is concerned, will be paid
by the government.
!. In the discussion upon the amend
ment the matter of the water supply
was naturally considered. That is a
question of the first Importance to the
capital More water is urgently need
ed. The District is now dangerously
close to the limit of the supply. With
more than 450,0 900 people permanently
residing here, it has an assured mini
mum water supply-the true measure
Of capaeity-barely equal to the de-
n,ands of 100000 The city will in
syitably grow. The addition of an
other half hundred thousand will ere
ate a condition of acute menace. That
additional $4,000 people will come. in
all probability, before new water sup
ply works can be completed, if author
lied at once and Immediately under
taken.
The Langftt plan does not interfere
with the development of the Potomac
water supply for drinking purposes. 1t
subordinates power to the primary
purpose of utilization of this stream,
by proposing a dam below Great Falls
and the impounding of the water that
passes the falls in excess of that taken
for supply. If another source of sup
ply is developed, such as the Patuxent,
which Gen. Black, until recently chief
of. engineers of the Army, favors as
against further Potomac development,
there will be more water at Great
Falls for power purposes.
The Norris amendment provides
that a strict division of costs between
power ard supply purposes shall be
kept by the commission, thus indicat-
ing that in the adoption Of the Lang
fit project more water will be i'm
pounded and distributed for supply
uses, though nothing is said further
of supply in the amendment itself.
There is no alternative for the commits
sion to pursue if it is found that the
surplus water will not suffice for prof
liable power production at the ebb of
the river in midsummer.
As the matter now stands, the
amendment going presumably into
conference, there will be no less water
under this development than hereto
fore for supply purposes, and pos
sibly more. There will be power
project of considerable capacity, pos
sibly sufficient to meet all the needs
of the government and perhaps to
furnish some private requirements in
addition. If the government wishes
to exrend $o5,OOO,oOo, or any part of
that sum, in such an enterprise, it is
to be encouraged in doing so. The
Potomac power has been wasted far
too long.