Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-18
Half Rations Planned in Ten
Days for Area Near
Washington.
DISTRICT ALREADY AIDS
SUBURBAN COMMISSION
Million Gallons Daily Capacity Of
Pipe Feeding Burnt Mills
Reservoir.

Unless there is rain within the next
10 days $4,000 residents of nearby
Maryland, served by the Washington
Suburban Sanitary Commission, will be
compelled to curtail their water con-
sumption by half.
This was made known today with
the announcement by Robert B. Morse,
chief engineer Of 1.-The commission, that
but 10 days supply Of water remains
in the reservoir at Burnt Mills, and
when this is exhausted the metropoli-
tan areas of Montgomery and Prince
Georges Counties must rely on the
water that can be pumped from the
Northwest Branch and the 1000, 900
gallons day that can be furnished the
commission by the District of Columbia.
District Now Aiding.
For the past two days the District
has been pumping all the water the
present facilities will allow into Mary
land mains for storage in the Burnt
Mills Reservoir. There is a single con-
nection between the Maryland and Dis
trict water systems. It Is located on
Rhode Island avenue at the boundary
between the two jurisdictions and per-
mits the flow Of approximately l,000,-
900 gallons day.
This water Is pumped at night when
the consumption in Washington Is at
its lowest ebb so as not to decrease
the water pressure in the city. 1t Is
sold to the suburban commission at o
rate of $65 per 100000 gallons.
According to D. w. Holton, superin-
tendent of the District Water Depart
naent, the law allows the District %
supply 1000, 600 gallons daily to Mary
land If it can be spared. At the pres
ent time such an amount could be
spared, he said, but because of the lack
Of sufficient connections 1t Is impossible
to transfer it to the Maryland mains.
A second connection between the two
systems has been authorized at Chevy
Chase, but has never been constructed,
and could not be laid in time to relieve
the present emergency.
Reservoir Recently Finished.
The Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission serves practically all sec
tons of Montgomery and Prince Georges
Counties adjacent to washington. Its
| water is taken from the Northwestern
Branch and until February was pumped
Q1IeCbIy from the SIIedIm.
Last February a reservoir at Burnt
| Mills, in Montgomery County, was COM
pleted and put In operation. At that
time its use was urgent because of the
/ four or five thousand more persons sup
piled by the commission than last year
Without 1t, even with help from the
Districts mains, the consumption OF
from five to six million gallons daily of
nearby Maryland would have to be cut
in half.
1t is this curtailment that is faced
The level in the reservoir Is 81 feet
below the crest of the dam. Mr.. Morse
declared today. leaving only approx
mately 100000 gallons. 1t is esti-
! mated that the 10000 900 gallons, sup
| plemented by water pumped directly
from the stream and from the Districts
mains. will last 10 days unless rains
afford relief.
May Regulate Use.
Several showers or q days steady
rain would relieve the situation to a
considerable extent, Mr.. Morse said.
1t was intimated that IL there is no
rain within the next few days, the COM
mission probably will meet and pass
regulations for sprinkling lawns and
I similar uses of water. Meanwhile, Mr.
Morse declared, residents of the section
could help materially by exercising care
in conserving the ytater supply.
The unpleasant taste of the water
supplied by the commission recently,
which brought a flood of complaints
has been removed through treatment
with copper sulphate, Mr.. Morse said,
explaining that 1t was due to the pres
ence in the water of algae, which
multiply rapidly in warm weather. but
have no harmful effect. The copper
sulphate does not affect the taste of
the water.
Large Number Served.
There are more than IL 900 connec-
tons to the sanitary commission
mains in Montgomery and Prince
Georges Counties. The number Of per-
sons served by each connection varies
but it is estimated by officials of the
commission that the average is between
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