Evening star., 1934-04-11
FUND FOR REPAIR
Of WATERSYSTEM
SET At $420,624
Preservation of Aqueduct
Is Provided After Request
of Mai. Arthur.
ONLY SIS, 900 GRANTED
FOR PUMPING STATION
$265, 900 Had Been Sought to
Electrify Equipment of Bryant
Street Plant.

Heeding the warning of Maj. Joseph
D. Arthur, jr., until recently district
engineer for the War Department, the
House Appropriations Committee to-
day recommended appropriation Of
s420,62 for repairing the Washington
Aqueduct. Maj. Arthur, who left
Washington on a new Public Works
Administration assignment at Zanes-
vile, Ohio, in conjunction with flood
control project in that region, recently,
testified before the committee on
March % that parts Of the Federal
system, bringing water from Great
Falls to the city. are rapidly deteri-
Grating. He added: Il think they
should be maintained"
In setting down the $420,624, the
committee directed that it be expended
for operation, maintenance and repair
Of the Washington Aqueduct and ac-
cessories, including Dalecarlia, George
town, Mcmillan Park, first and second
High Service Reservoirs, Washington
Aqueduct tunnel, the filtration plants,
the pumping plants and other require
ments. This money will come from
the revenues of the Water Depart
ment.
Road Condition Deplored.
Eve have Conduit road, running to
Great Falls and used by the public
that we have had to let go; it is in
bad shape at the present time" said
Maj Arthur.
In the s420,624 item the committee
included funds for repairs and other
maintenance Of Conduit road
Identification of the Bryant street
pumping station, built in 1908, would
cost about $265, 900, Maj. Arthur told
the subcommittee hearing the Dis
trict supply measure. The commit
tee, however, wrote into the measure
an item of $4,000 "for operation of
pumps at Bryant street pumping sta
ton upon interruption of service from
Dalecarlia pumping station"
Maj. Arthur declared that the main
pumping station is at Dalecarlia filter
plant and that until it was construct
ed, pumps in the Bryant street sta
tion did the pumping. These latter
pumps, however, have not sufficient
power to pump into the reservoirs
constructed at the time the Washing
ton aqueduct was improved in 1928,
he said.
Pressure Is Inadequate.
'For that reason. the pumps are
not suitable for pumping into the
reservoirs. and they have not enough
pressure to give the required pressure
in case something happens at that
station" said the major. I'VE have
mechanical equipment, which, If
something happens to it, we have no
suitable standby equipment"
Asked by Chairman Cannon of the
subcommittee having the District
measure in charge if this is an emer-
gency matter, Maj. Arthur replied: II
feel it is very important; in other
words, am in the position Of being
responsible for pumping water to the
city and I have to have a standby
unit. We do not expect break-downs
to occur, but they do occur, and do
not believe We should be in the posi-
ton, if one did occur, that we would
not have there equipment to take its
place"
Maj. Arthur told the subcommittee
that study made by him showed that
about $265, 900 is necessary. The COM
mittee. however, authorized but IS 900
for this service in operating the
pumps at Bryant street station.