The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-07-22
D. c. WATER
PL ANNAY
FAIL
Unless Commissioners Get
So, 200, 900 Asked, Danger
GUS Delay win Follow

Unless the Budget Bureau and
Congress uphold the District Com
missioners in their $S,OOO,O00 esti-
mates for the continuation Of
work on the new water supply
conduit during the fiscal year be
ginning July /, the program call
ing for completion Of the project
in July, 1927, probably will be
doomed to failure, it became EVIL
dent today.
Despite the warnings Of engi-
neer officers last year, the Budget
Bureau and the House Appropria-
tions Committee slashed the ap-
preparation to $780, 900. The Sen.
ate, appreciating the seriousness
Of the situation, succeeded in
having the appropriation increased
to 81 SOC, 900.
City Facing Danger.
The recent break In the conduit.
which resulted in a dangerous rel
duction of the reserve supply In
the city reservoirs, points out the
menace Of allowing the project to
lapse. in the opinion Of officials Of
the water department.
With the most rapid progress pos
sible, even with the $3,000,0O0 ap.
preparation, the old conduit must
bear the burden Of supplying the
entire needs of the District for an
other two years.
Taxed to its absolute capacity
during the summer months, 1t can
not supply sufficient water to keep
the reservoirs filled for several
months during the summer.
During July, August and the
early part of September each year,
there are many days when the
reservoirs are drawn upon heavily
to supply the current needs, and
It is often weeks before the conduit
can bring the reserve to normal,
officials Of the water department
declare.
Views Committee Expressed.
The House appropriations com
mittee, even though 1t slashed the
appropriations to 100000 for this
year, publicly admitted the gravity
of the situation.
ut win be necessary to provide
an appropriation next year, prob
ably upward of 100000, and the
remainder, between $1,669, 900 and
Sales, 900, for the fiscal year 1927"
the committee declared in its re-
port to the House.
IL the project Is delayed beyond
1927, in addition to the peril which
will confront the city through fail
ure Of the existing outworn sys-
tenn, the committee admits that an
increase in the estimates for the
entire project will be likely.
Increase OF Costs
Originally it was estimated that
it would cost $9,523,000," the House
committee reported regarding the
project. A restudy and falling
prices placed the total estimated
and present authorized cost at
| SIS, 73S, 900. The latest total est.
mated cost is $9.169, 900.
The increase of $431 900 is
ascribed by the chief Of engineers
as due largely to the advance in
prices of construction materials and
this bill establishes this latest fig.
ure as the authorized cost Of the
project"
This last authorized cost. how.
ever, is based upon the presunp-
ton that the plant will be com
pleted by July 1. 1922, water Off.
cials state.
The present supply of water
through the old conduit is 10000.
600 gallons a day. The new sys-
tenn, when completed, viii supply
an additional S0,000,O0O gallons.
The new conduit, now under con-
struction, is a 9-foot concrete tun-
mel nearly is miles long. running
nearly parallel to the present con-
duit from Great Falls to the Dale.
carlia reservoir, which straddles
the District line, on the north bank
Of the Potomac.
Other CONSTRUCTION Needed.
AT this point additional water
supply works are to be built, ac.
cording to the plans Of the water
department engineers, to handle the
work OF purifying and supplying
water to all the high areas within
the District, where pumping is re-
quired.
The additional plants include q
rapid sand filtration plant, pump.
ing station and a hydro-electric
plant to provide power for the
pumping machinery.
The project also calls for two
new reservoirs, one to be located
between the Bureau Of Standards
and the Dalecarlia reservoir and
one a short distance 70 the east Of
the Georgetown reservoir.