The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-09-06
Ql)ALITY IS
CALLED
SAFE
Additional Reservoir to Be
Cleaned As Precautionary
Measure.

Steps to safeguard the water
supply of Washington are being
taken today following reports of
psychologists that tests Of the
water in two of the city's reser-
voirs showed it was not up to
the usual standard but was
reasonably safe" for use.
One Reservoir Shut Down.
The Brightwood reservoir on Six
teenth street, holding 100000 gal
Ions Of water and serving upper
Georgetown. most Of Brightwood
and Brookland, was shut down
September /. The cleansing Of
another reservoir will be ordered,
it was said today.
Both DR.. william C. Fowler,
District Health Officer, and J. s..
Garland, superintendent OF the
Water Department, declared there
was no cause for alarm. The meas
ureS being taken are merely pre-
cautioflary and do not indicate a
serious situation, they say.
In Bfightwood the reservoir is
now partially in service. The north
basin has been drained. cleaned
with chloride, OF lime, and will be
refilled by tomorrow. The south
basin is being cleaned today and
water viii be pumped back, begin
ming probably tomorrow.
VIII Not Name Reservoir
DIR. Fowler would not make pub
lie the name of the other reservoir.
He said. he would recommend to the
water department that it be cleaned
with chloride Of lime. He will
confer today with superintendent
Garland with regard to. the latter.
Tests of the water were made
August 81 and a report sent ID the
health department by its nacteri-
ologists the next day. The tests
showed the water contained more
than the usual number of bacteria.
DR.. Fowler then suggested that tie
water department drain and clean
the Brightwood basins.
LAS soon as the report reached
US we Immediately ordered the CLOS
ing down of the reservoir" Super
intendent Garland said "All OF the
water was drained out. One basin
has been thoroughly cleaned, and
the other is being cleaned.
There is no reason TO be
alarmed. The water being served
in Washington today is all right.
We have followed the health de-
partment's suggestion and cleaned
the reservoir"
Several Complaints Made.
Several complaints regarding the
water have been made to the Health
Department, DIR. Fowler said today
He said that several persons had
asked him whether they should
drink or use the water. He said he
told them the water was reasonably
safe and that if they were in any
way doubtful about it they could boil
the water before using. He said,
however, this was not necessary.
ct don't want the people of the
city to become alarmed" he said
today. THE water is not bad. 1t
just did not come up to the usual
standard. 1t is not polluted.
The reason for the water not com.
ing up to the standard could not be
given today, it was said. DR.. Fowler
said that the water probably became
contaminated with dirt blown into
the reservoir. He pointed out. how
ever, that water served by this and
every other reservoir was filtered be-
fore going into the homes.
Tests to BE Made.
AS soon as the Brightwood reser.
voir is filled tests will be made
Superintendent Garland said today
that he felt sure the condition
found by water tests last week
would not be noted again.
Superintendent Garland made il
clear that the condition in Bright
wood was localized in that section
and did not affect water in the
rest of the CITY.