Evening star., 1922-12-10
D. C. BOARD OF TRADE,
LED BYF. R. WELLER,
LONG BACKED PROJECT

/ The Washington Board of Trade,
| through its water supply committee,
| has taken an important part in the
I, advancement of the water supply
project for this city. Francis r.
Weller. prominent consulting engi-
neer and chairman of the boards
water supply committee for many
years. has been the guiding genius in
, the boards fight to secure for the
/ National Capital an adequate water
f, system.
/ Mr.. Weller not only was one of the
| first citizens of the community to
| recognize the danger of depending on
! the single conduit for water for the
| District, but his reports to the board
| have pointed out the precarious con-
dition Of Washington should trouble
! develop with the existing siXty-year-
+. old conduit. Not content with sound
; ing the warning to the more than
1000 members of the board. Mr.
! Weller has discussed the matter with
many of his friends in Congress and
| he is to large degree responsible
! for the water supply Legislation
which has recently been passed by
the legislative body.
| Danger Long Threatened.
"A great many Washingtonians,"
said Mr. Weller in an. interview re-
cen -ly. do not realize the magnitude
of this project, which means so much
to the city. When YOU take into
consideration the fact that when COM
pleted it will cost in the neighbor-
hood of S9.600.G00. it begins to dawn
on you that it must be something
important. hut when you realize
WASHINGTON for many years has been
in Imminent danger of water fam
inc, if a serious accident should oc-
cur either along the line of the pres
ent conduit or in the Lydecker tun-
mel. it means that it is not only i'm
portant but imperative that steps
should be taken TO provide against
devas atine water famine.
Naturally said Mr.. Weller. "it Is
a source of considerable qualification
to me that active construction work
has been started on the second con-
duit from Great Falls to the Dalcar-
liza reservoir. The board committee
for several years has given its best
efforts toward securing the author
creased water supply project.
Could Finish fin Three Years.
THE committee reported last year
600 had been made to cover the cost of
surveys, plans and preliminary work.
During the past year Congress appro-
priated sl,500,000 and also authorized
additional contracts to the extent of
s1.450,000.- Three contracts have been
awarded for the construction of the
second conduit from a point $500 feet
below Great Falls to the Dalcarlia
reservoir. This work is now actively
under way. The engineer officer in
- of h
plete the conduit in three years time If
Congress will appropriate this year the
amount allowed in the budget. which is
S1.500,000. This irnount, together with
the money already appropriated. will
be sufficient to compete the second con-
duit, which will insure the city against
any future water famine.
THE water supply project also
contemplates the construction of n
new filtration plant at Dalecarlia
necessity Of operating the present
pumping station near the Soldiers
Home filtration plant. The existing
filtration plant will be maintained
and operated for the purpose of sup
plying filtered water to the gravity
section-the downtown section-of
Washington and Anacostia. All other
sections of the District will be sup
piled from the new filtration plant
Warns Against Delay.
"The total revised estimate of the
cost of the entire project is Ss,73S. 900,
which, of course, includes not only
the new conduits, now in the course
of construction, but the filtration
plant. The plans for this water sup
ply project are along broad and COM
prehensive lines, and when the work
is completed Washington will have
water supply system adequate to
meet all the present and future needs
of the city in the metropolitan dis
trict."
Mr.. Weller explained that at the
present time all the water used in
the District goes through the Lydeck-
er tunnel after it comes through the
conduit from Great Falls. If any
thing should hapenn to this tunnel
before the new conduit is completed,
he said. the city. would be absolutely
helpless. On completion of the new
conduit the water will be diverted
from the Lydecker tunnel, which will
allow it to be thoroughly overhauled
and cleaned-a feat which under
present conditions Is impossible,
owing to the fact that only two days
supply of water is contained in the
Dalecarlia reservoir, and it takes
more than two days to draw the wa
ter from the tunnel.
"The work of constructing the con-
duit and filtration plant should not
suffer single days delay" said Mr..
Weller, because not until 1t is COM
pleted will the National Capital be
immune from the present menace OF