Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-03
ARLINGTON
WATER PROSPECTS
Survey Experts Advocates of
Ultimate Surface System
for Districts.

Eventual installation of large unit
surface water system to he pumped
from Pimmit Run, the Potomac River
or n source in the Blue Ridge, unless
! water from this city Is available, is
advised by experts of the Geological
Survey, Department Of Interior, in an
extended report made public yester-
day on the manner Of obtaining a
suitable public water supply for the
benefit OF Is 900 residents of the Ar
lington and Washington districts of
Arlington County, Va.
Results of a recent study Of the
ground formation in these districts
made by Clyde J.. Ross. one OF the
biologists Of the survey, at the re.
quest of III. A. Saffell, chairman OF
committee representing local citizens
organizations, are contained In the
report, which compares the practical
bility of well water and surface water
In the Arlington County communities.
Statement Is made that at favorable
localities in the Arlington and Wash
ington districts successful wells are
usually obtained at depths of 100 10
1870 feet.
Many Wells Required.
Continuing, the report says: The
prospects Of obtaining an adequate
public water supply from wells do not
appear altogether favorable. Enough
water TO supply the present popula-
ton could probably be obtained from
wells. but in order 70 get this quantity
Of water IL would be necessary to drill
large number OF wells distributed
throughout the area.
"A system OF waterworks utilizing
surface water from Pimmit Run, Po-
tomac River, or some other source
would, II properly planned, doubtless
be more adequate than any system
using ground water, because the sup
ply would be sufficient to care for the
growing needs of the country for a
long time to come. The pumping ma
chtnery would be centralized in few
places instead OF being scattered
among numerous wells. On this &C
count il would be possible to use eff
ficient pumping machinery and to
have close supervision by competent
man. There would not be the con
slant annoyance and expense OF keep
ing In repair numerous small units,
such as would be inevitable with a
supply obtained from wells. Unless
the water We're obtained from the
supply of the City OF Washington. it
would have TO be either pumped
against a considerable head from d
point near the mouth of Pimmit Run
or else piped Il considerable distance
from source in the Blue Ridge. In
either case a publication plant would
be required.
The chief advantage OF a supply
from wells is the tiexibility of the sys.
tenn. 1t would probably be wise to
utilize surface water unless sufficient
money were available for the construc-
ton of large plant adequate 10 sup
ply the entire area for some time to
come. A system using ground-water
could start with a few wells and be ex-
banded as the need arose and available
funds permitted. Consequently 1t
would be possible for individual COM
munities to equip themselves with
plants adequate for their own needs IL
a plant large enough to supply the
whole area of the Arlington and Wash
ington districts could not be arranged
for in the immediate future.
Would Get Estimates.
1T is recommended that before the
project of utilizing ground water is
definitely rejected, estimates be made
of the cost of installation and opera.
ton of small systems of waterworks
supplied by wells for the several com
munities and that these estimates be
compared with the estimates for a
large unit system supplied by surface
water. If the estimated costs of in
stallation and operation Of the ground
water units are not distinctly lower
than those of a surface-water system,
1t will be the wiser policy to install the
surface-water system. However, 1t Is
possible that a careful survey of the
whole problem will show that it Will
be more economical and feasible, until
the population has considerably in.
creased, to install a few small ground
water systems rather than to carry
out the large surface-water project at
present and to begin Immediately to
carry the heavy fixed and operating
charges it would entail. If individual
communities install grOund-water sys-
TENS, the distributing mains should be
so designed that as much OF them as
possible can be utilized If a surface
water system is later installed.
1T should be understood that the
whole matter of obtaining water sup
plies from wells in this area is some
what uncertain and that the ground
water conditions vary from place to
place. Hence the first step in any
plan to install a system of waterworks
depending on wells must be the drill
ing of test wells to determine whether
an adequate supply can actually be
obtained. The wells so far drilled are
not sufficient to afford this informa-
ton"