Evening star., 1921-06-28
WHITE HOUSE HELP
PROMISED DISTRICT
|. |NWATER'PR0BLEM
Secretary Christian Will Call
Attention of Crisis to
Gen. Beach.
SURVEY OF CONSUMPTION
INDICATED TO CONSERVE
Curtailing of Enormous Usage in
Government Departments Would
Relieve Serious Situation.

! Government Departments Would
Relieve Serious Situation.
Consumption of water in the Dis
trict has reached such an alarming
state that the White House today was
considering an investigation Of the
situation. with a view to inducing. if
possible. immediate economies in the
use of water in the government de-
partments.
With a report before him showing
that the conduit one day last week
delivered s1.000.o00 gallons of water.
although it is built TO handle but from
sixty-tive to siNty-eight million gal
Ions safely. Secretary Christian today
said that he would send for Brig. Gen.
Lansing H. Beach, chief of engineers
of the Army. to see if any steps can
be taken to prevent waste of water.
Survey Is Likely.
Should Gen. Beach's statement of
the situation indicate that economies
may be effected, it is considered prob
able that steps will be taken looking
toward Il survey of water conSump
tIon that would cover not only fed
eral departments. but use of water in
homes and private establishments.
metered. but water department Off
cials believe that the per capita con-
sumption of water in the departments
is much greater than it should be.
The per capita consumption for the
District at large is 40 gallons a day.
whereas a l50-gallon consumption
should be the outside per capita
quota. it is claimed.
The District Commissioners have no
authority for regulating the use of
atf.y I.. Hlo lt l.,
they have adopted regulations design
ed to restrict the consumption of wa
ter by individuals in the matter of
sprinkling lawns and sidewalks.
The superintendent Of public buildings
and grounds has shut off another ave-
nue. of water consumption by closing the
fountains in the public parks.
Federal Consumption Heavy.
From three to five million gallons
of filtered water are used daily by
the government printing office. the
bureau of engraving and printing
and other government buildings for
condensing purposes it is stated.
recommendation has been made that
this water could ba saved if aneSn-
ditional turbine were installed at the
navy yard power plant and cOnnec-
tion made between that plant and
the government buildings which now
use filtered water in generating steam
for light and power purposes. How
ever. to install the additional turbine
and to make the necessary connec-
tions between the navy yard plant
and the government buildings would
cost. it is estimated. a million dollars.
Suggestions have been made to Sec
retary Christian to the effect that If
all the departments should get behind
a program for economy which would
limit the amount of water used to
saving of several hundred thousands
gallons of water daily would result.
Gen. Beach is known to regard the
water situation as being extremely
critical. in view of the excessive
! strain to which the conduit is being
subjected. He is of the opinion that
water wasted in the District can be
Curtailed to considerable extent.
and it is believed he will recommend
that a survely be made to determine
the actual facts in the situation.
Bill Not Signed.
The Army bill. carrying an appro-
priation for a new conduit. has not
been signed by the President. The
War Departmen is prepared to begin
operations looking toward the con-
struction of new conduit as soon as
this bill becomes law, but under the
most favorable circumstances it is
considered improbable that new
water supply line can be built and
put into operation under five years.
How Washington, with a growing
population. is going to solve the
problem of depending for five years
more on an obsolete conduit. which
engineers say may go out OF commits
sion at any time, is a matter that is
receiving the serious thought of high
officials in the government.
Nelson S. Thompson. chief engineer
in the supervising architects Office of
the Treasury, today expressed grave
concern over the outlook. 1t is his
opinion that unless something is done
to reduce the consumption of water
Washington may find itself faced by
a calamity without warning. He be-
lieves the government should appro-
pirate a million dollars if necessary
to enable the departments that now
generate steam to obtain power by
establishing connections with the
power plant at the navy yard.
He thinks it would be a big saving
in the long run in dollars and cents if
the departments would abandon their
individual system steam plants and
tie up with the navy yard plant.
In a communication to Francis r.
Weller, chairman of the water supply
committee of the Board of Trade, Mr..
Thompson said:
1T is very obvious that the practice
of using city water for condensing
and economic blunder of the worst
description. but in this case it is
jeopardizing the safety of the single
water conduit to the city by placing
upon it an additional strain amount
ing to Z per cent of its total safe
capacity.
you and I both know that if this
| conduit fails. at least 10 per cent of
| the people of Washington will perish
| as the result of drinking infected
water"
The, people of Washington yester-
day began to heed the appeals of the
District government to save water
Yesterdays consumption went down
to SO, So, $50 gallons.