The Washington times., 1922-02-04
Water Problems Of d. C.
Before Congress
BY BILL PRICE.


With courageous Spokesman like Congresmm
BEN JOHNSON pleading for adequate appropr:a-
ions Tor the District in the next fiscal year--e7cc
though the Kentnckian does confine his pleas to
few items-there 10 hope that the District BILL when
it energies from conference toward the closing days
OF Congress, will come reasonably near providing for
the actual necessities of this community.
We cannot believe that the bill will finally elimi>
nate the appropriation Of 100000 for additional
water supply for Washington. The chief Of engineers
Of the army and many Of his subordinates have
stressed the dangers Of longer attempting TO relv
upon the one adueduct bringing water to this CITY
and going most Of the time to the limit of its ca
have been made 10 to court possible disaster to the
Federal Capital.
The House Appropriations Committee not only
eliminated this important item, but approved only
two new main trunk lines asked for BY the Water
Departnent-these to be laid from Chevy Chase
across Rock Greek Park, just north Of Walter Reed
Hospital grounds, to Georgia avenue, and from
Georgia avenue to Military road. This hospital.
like all other Federal institutions in the District
makes no payment for the water it uses
The main is to be conscucted by money paid
wholly BY the people Of the District Of Columbia,
not single cent being from the Federal Treasury
i is mainly the money to be paid in by people Of
the District which will build the additional aqueduct
that may stand between Washington and serious
A most important main asked for by the Com
missioners-necessary for the adequate protection
Of Q large suburban community--was eliminated by
the House committee entirely Yet il is regarded by
the Water Department as the most important trunk
extension requested.
The item was for proper water supply for south
Brookland, Woodbridge and large suburban popu-
lation lying along Rhode Island avenue northeast.
ah,s territory is fed entirely BY two small mains
these two mains is necessarily very high At times
when it Is necessary to but one Of the two pumps
on this service the higher levels in this territory are
pAf Al -
closed down. and it is realized that this water
has to be fed back from along the lines Of the thirty
sixinch main from the Brghtwood reservoir to First
and Adams street and thence via Prospect Hill Gene
inch main leading from Barry and Eighth streets
northwest, south Eighth street to Florida avenue
and east on Florida avenue to Bladensburg road,
and ont Bladensburg road to South Dakota avenue
higher points in Brookland Woodbridge, and vicinity
are not getting sufficient head for satisfactory
house service and very poor supply for FIRE pro
lection
The request was for money to lay thirty.incb
main The elimination of this item will mean that
every service main laid in this territory will but in
crease the inadequacy of the water system therein
Thus even with the amount of water now available
the District is denied the proper facilities for dis
tributing it. Both the second and third heh services
which the growing services of the District are in
adequately supplied at the present time. The Com
missioners asked for pump, which would cost in the
neighborhood Of 10000 for the proper maintenance
Of the third high service. This item was cut to
$4,000. The erection of this pump and the laying
Of the main from Chevy Chase across Rock Greek
Park and north Of Walter Reed Hospital to Georgia
avenue which was allowed by the committee, will
place the third high service in satisfactory shape
The second high service, under present conditions
can be operated in partially satisfactory manner
but should anything to disable the larger pump
on this service (No pnmp) il would be inadequate
even at the present time, to supply the amount Of
water necessary for its proper maintenance. There
fore, it is extremely important that appropriation
be made for the thirty-inoh main to supply the
Brookland and Woodbridge sections. The higher por-
tons Of this territory were without water on several
occasions last summer owing to inadequate supply