Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-13
Figures Are Shown as Plans
for Extension and Rent
Boost Are Prepared.
ONE.THIRD OF SUPPLY
WAS "LOST" IN MAINS
Bryant Street Station Is Credited
With Having Prevented Short
age in Part of City.

While plans are in preparation at the
District Building for q flve-year water
extension program, necessitating an
increase in water rents, the annual re-
port of the Water Department, made
public today. showed surplus of more
than 1902 900 in the last fiscal year, no
plans for the expenditure of which have
been made.
An atonishing feature of the report
is the disclosure that about one-thiIT
of the total supply which went through
the mains last year cannot be ac-
counted for: that it was lost through
some unknown source which an inten-
sive survey even failed to reveal The
assumption is that it just leaked away.
The report also indicated that had it
not been for the Bryant street pump
ing station. which was abandoned when
the new supply system was completed,
that large section of the District would
have been without water temporarily
over different periods in the year, due
to breaks in trunk lines or to the in
ability of the pumps at the new Dale
carlia Reservoir to keep up pressure
when consumption was at its peak.
Figures Dispute Auditor.
Discussions of higher water rate
started at the District Building several
months ago, when a financial report
prepared by Maj. Daniel j. Donovan,
auditor and budget officer showed that
costly additions to the distribution SyS-
tenn. not only had depleted the water
departments surplus fund. but had
created a deficit for the current fiscal
year.
The water department. in its annual
report, however, announced that, in
stead of a deficit, it actually had
surplus of $302,870. The collections for
the year. it said, totaled 81 $1,498,045.35,
while the net expenditures amounted
to S1,195,175.35.
AS a result of these discussions, En-
gineer, Commissioner William B. La
due directed the Water Department 10
make an exhaustive survey to shoT
the extensions that may be needed five
years hence and funds necessary to-
provide them. Several days ago. the
department submitted to Col. Ladue
preliminary report containing tenta-
tive flve-year program, which indicated
that theoretically 80 per cent in
crease in rates would be necessary TO
carry out the projects.
Preliminary Report is Withheld.
The preliminary report was not made
public, however. 1t is understood that
Col Ladue believes 1t should be re-
Department officials in few days over
the changes he has in mind
Although the Bryant street pumping
station had been abandoned and put
on a reserve basis July /. 1928, the
report called particular attention to
the part it played last year in giving
Washington a community of water
service. Four times during the year.
the report declared, the Bryant street
laI 10 let he
ne~ station at Dalecsrlia.
4S-inch Main Broke.
Water department officials explained
that had not this pumping station been
kept in reserve, large area would have
been without water for temporary pc
riods due TO emergencies.
The most serious situation arose, it
was pointed out, as a result of a break
in the 48-inch trunk main at Twenty
seventh and M streets, where the new
bridge across Rock Greek is under con-
struction. The Bryant street station
responded in this emergency by pump
ing water to the first high area east OF
Rock Greek. which covers large por-
tion of the downtown section and also
on Capitol Hill. Otherwise, it was ex-
planned, this area would have been
without water pending the completion
of repairs. .
The third high service pump at the
Bryant street station also was used from
July II to II, at the request of the
Dalecarlia station, the report added, as
result of a leak on the concrete sup
ply mair for this service near Forty
fourth and Van Ness streets, and again
on August % to maintain the pressure
on this service while changing a valve
from manual to motor operation.
While the report did not mention it,
water department officials pointed out
that during the torrid wave in August
the Bryant street station also went into
service to pump water to a section of
the Northeast where the pressure had
been reduced through increased use in
the Mount Pleasant section.
Mean Consumption Is Given.
The report showed that the mean
daily water consumption during the year
was 73,567,771 gallons, giving an, APP
proximate mean daily per capita con-
sumption of 1873 gallons. The total con-
sumption for the IL months was 26,852,-
236,560 gallons, an increase of 1,719,-
807, 100 gallons over the preceding year.
The greatest consumption for any one
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