Evening star., 1926-06-12
ARLINGTON WATER
HINGES ON BONDS
Forum" Told That lnstaIIa-
ton of System Depends
Upon Result of Vote.

Upon Result OF Vote.
4 warning to the voters of Airing
ton County that rejection Of the bond
issue plan Of financing the new "city
water system would imperil the
county's chances of getting water at
this time. was sounded last night by
State Senator Frank Ball and Will
liam j. Ingram. chairman of the Az
ington County Water Board. at a
water forum held in the Washing
ton and Lee High School, at Ballston,
Va.
The announcement was made in the
face of a barrage of questions regard
ing water plans from the proponents
and opponents OF the $.00,O00 bond Is
sue. which will be voted upon Ill q
special election next Tuesday. oppo-
sition TO the bond scheme appeared
to quiet down with the clarifying by
officials of many points which had
been raised by those unfamiliar with
the plans
Senator Ball explained that there
was but one other method available
for financing the water supply
should the bond plan fail, and that Is
the so-cailed Jesse general taxation
method
Meeting Is UprOariOus.
The meeting. the last to be called
by the water board prior 10 the elec-
ton. was spirited from beginning 70
end. Kisses and applause mingllhs III
response to pointed questions put by
several previously avowed opponents
OF the bond issue. All questions APP
parently were answered satisfactorily
by either Senator Ball. Mr.. Ingram
Asa f.. Phillips, consulting engineer
to the board, or DR.. r. Nj. ChlchesteT'
county health officer.
Herr are some phases of the water
plan brought out at the meeting:
The water board will open its books
to the public and will keep in them
a strict account Of all receipts and
expenditures.
The charge for water in excess OF
the netered annual allotment per
house Of 10000 gallons will be low.
perhaps about 10 cents per thousand
gallons. There will be limit placed
on the amount of water that may be
used by commercial establishments
Householders will be supplied with
sufficient water to sprinkle lawns, etc.
Wells to BE UnmOlested.
Wells will not he condemned by the
water board, with view to forcing
new consumers into the system.
No rule can be laid down as to the
number of prospective users neces-
sary to influence the water board TO
extend a lateral main. but every effort
will be made to extend the service TO
every one who wants it, circumstances
permitting regardless OF the number
of consumers.
Lateral mains will be paid for out
Of a revolving fund" maintained by
the assessments per front foot OF main
levied on the water users only, and
this fund will have as its nucleus
about SIS 900 set aside from the bond
revenues.
There will be about Is miles OF
main supply pipes laid at the outset.
OF the more than 1000 prospective
consumers who have signed pledges
to take the water. 1t is not known
how many live along the arterial sup
ply mains, but the water officials
claim that the 1900 users estimated
as necessary to make the system self
supporting need not be located on the
arterial system proper.
Start to Be Delayed.
The water board expects to start
work on the system about three
months after the election, deferring
contracts for pipes until the Fall and
Winter, in order to effect economies
in cost. The system should be ready
to receive the water when the war
Department turns it on in July or Au-
gust Of next year.
The Water Board denies il is "a
power unto itself" being responsive to
the will of the people and subject to
removal by election at the polls In
November.
Each Of the three magisterial dis
tricts must work out It's own saliva
ton" under the bond-issue plan, the
act requiring each district to vote
If only one district should
vote in favor of the bonds 1t Will be
permitted to go ahead and install its
own system, although the cost under
such an eventuality would be large,
and the complications with regard to
the other districts would be regret
table. One district cannot be expected
to bear the burden of laying mains in
its own territory large enough to take
care of a future decision by neigh
boring district to take the water. The
district must take the
OF working out its own
scheme Of getting water at the later
date, with the possibility OF having to
lay it's mains parallel to the existing
ones all the way to Chain Bridge. In
any event, it will be possible for any
district at any time in the future to
obtain water ''in some way"
The Water Board feels that the vote
next Tuesday Is not only on the ques-
ton of whether the citizens want
bonds. but whether they want water.
Senator Ball declared that thou
sands Of prospective water consumers
have not signed blanks, especially IN
the thickly populated Clarendon ana
sections. The system Will
be an overwhelming financial success
xyben +hesa rsers come forward to tap