Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-14
ELABORATE WATER
SUPPLY PLANS LAID
Report Warns New Sources
Must Be Found for
Nearby Areas.
BY DONALD A. CRAIG.

~
tives Of the Federal Government and
these two States, sounds a warning that
the time has now arrived when serious
attention must be given to finding new
sources for water supply, or making
more effective use Of sources already
supplying water to Washington and its
e1avironS.
Although the committee makes it
clear that there Is no immediate dan
ger Of a water shortage in this section,
and probably will not be FOR some years,
Il believes that no time should be lost
in preparing for conditions that must
surely be met.
SO important does this subject ap-
pear In the minds of the committee
men that already q preliminary study
Of the subject has been made and sug-
gestions have been submitted to the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission for increasing the water
supply of the District of Columbia;
Montgomery and Prince Georges Coun-
ties, in Maryland. and Arlington Cour-
ty. Alexandria City, ana Fairfax Coun-
ty, in Virginia.
Facts Made Public by Grant.
Lieut.. Col. U. S. Grant, Sd, director
Of the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission, at whose suggestion
the water Supply Committee was
formed, made public yesterday the
main facts Of the committees prelimi-
nary report.
Col. Grant served as chairman Of
this Water Supply Committee. He ex-
planned that he does not desire to alarm
the residents of this section with
prophesies of shortage of water in the
near future, but he does want to call
sharp attention to the fact that the
normal increase in the population of
the metropolitan area of washington
compels the responsible authorities to
move without delay.
II L. the opinion of the committee
that more water must be found for
Washington and the adjacent sections
ut least within the next so years. He
and the Army engineer officers, who are
attached to the washington area, re-
alixing that 1t takes years to plan and
establish q new or improved water sys-
TEN. are not letting the grass grow
under their feet Maryland and V1r-
ginia authorities are heartily coop
Grating.
The water Supply Committee, In its
preliminary report to the National Capt.
tai Park and Planning Commission, calls
attention to the following possibilities,
or combinations Of them" as being
worthy of consideration:
/. Increase Of the quantity Of water
taken from the Potomac River at Great
Falls.
2. Taking water from the Potomac
River at Little Falls.
3. Development of reservoirs on one
or more branches of the Patuxent River
above Laurel, Md.
4. Development OF one or more reser-
voirs on Seneca Greek, or its branches,
In Maryland.
5. Development Of q reservoir on oc-
eoquan Greek. in Virginia.
s. Development of smaller streams in
Virginia for local use.
Committee on Water Supply.
The Committee on the Water Sup
ply Problems of the Washington Region
Ito use its full and offlcial name-con-
sists of representatives of the National
Capital Park and Planning Commission,
the United States Engineers once, the
Board of Commissioners Of the District
OF Columbia, the Alexandria Water Co.,
the City Manager of Alexandria, the
Observation-Disclosures Capital Park and
Planning Commission, the Virginia
Park and Planning Commission, the
Washington Suburban Sanitary Com
mission, the Maryland State Board of
Health, the Board of Supervisors Of
Arlington County, Va, and the Board
Of Supervisors of Fairfax County, Va.
Howard Duckett Of the Maryland
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission, and Frank Campbell Of
the Virginia Park and Planning Com
mission, are vice chairmen of the water
Committee. Three subcommittee were
created to report on problems imme-
dlately enecting the District Of Column
bia, Maryland and Virginia.
Possible Arrangements.
Three or more possible arrangements
have been considered by the commit
tee. The more promising" are:
l. Maryland. Virginia and the Dis
trict OF Columbia to proceed independ-
entity.
Q. Joint action by these three au-
liberties to draw water from the Po-
tonAac River ct Great Falls.
7. The District of Columbia and
Arlington County, Va, to draw water
as At present from the Potomac River:
Maryland and the District to ioin in
developing the Pa.@xent River and
SeSeca CreeS, and Virginia to supple
ment its supply from available local
sources.
Separate action by the different au-
thorities Is favored by the Maryland
members of the committee, by the Dis
trtct Of Columbia representatives and
by the United States Engineers ONCE.
The Arlington County members favor
joint action to draw water from the
Potomac River at Great Falls for the
whole region. The third possibility is
not being definitely backed by any
group OF members on the committee, but
Is being kept In Eaind as an additional
method Of adding to the water supply
OF this region.
The committee has given considerable
detailed study TO the various proposals
that have been here briefly outlined.
How they will work out will be explained
later in this series Of articles.
water Service Tagging"
Attention is called by the committee
10 the fact that only a small area of
the total metropolitan area Is now being
served" It says that water service is
tagging considerably behind the urban
development of new areas.
And yet continues the committee
In its preliminary report, like highways,
parks and other elements of planning,
water service plays a part in determin-
ing the direction of urban growth"
This is the. frat Of a series Of articles
witch are OF special timeIinesS on
count Of the serious drought from ,ohich
the Washangton area has suffered this
! and nearby portions Of Maryland and
hwinarp report OF a committee, created
at the SUGGESTION Of Lieut.. Col. U. S.
Grant, ID, director OF the National Cap
ftdI Park and Planning Commission.
uhfeh has already begun tDoTk to ind
more DuteT for the Increasing population
OF this reoion, OF which WASHINGTON Is
the center.
u. S. CLERK SUFFERS
AMNESlA RELAPSE