Evening star., 1941-01-08
D. {. Water Budget
Reflects Caution
Against Sabotage
New Reserve Systems
And Emergency Pump
Asked Of Congress
By DON S. WARREN.

National defense and sabotage
protective measures are strikingly
reflected in the 1912 budget esti-
mates for the Washington aque-
duct and the District water dis
tribution system which call for out
lays totaling $1,000 ,080, a boost of
SAT ,465 over this year.
An increase of more than 100 per
cent is proposed for the supply sys-
TEN, from $603,360 to S1,257,780, to
permit construction of a huge res
ervoir of ,000-gallon capacity
and changes in the Dalecarlia hy-
dro-electric station to permit pump
ing of water in case of emergency
from the c. &I o. Canal into the
Dalecarlia Reservoir. A new item
of SOS 900 is also asked for erec-
ton of protective fencing" around
the intakes of the supply system at
Great Falls, the Dalecarlia reserva-
ton and filter plant and the McMil-
Ian filter plant, as we'll as several
isolated works"
In order to- avoid a hike in Dis
trict water rents or an otherwise
threatened deficit in the District
water fund, the Commissioners pro-
| posed, and the Budget Bureau ap-
proved, the sale Of S222,736 of the
securities in which Water Depart
ment surpluses of past several fiscal
years have been invested 1t was
to meet such eXigencies that Con-
| gresS directed the Treasury to in
vest for the District accumulated
revenues in the water fund. This
would be the first time the invested
fund was drawn upon to finance eX-
pansion of the water system.
Expansion Needs Outlined.
Need for large-scale future ex-
pansion of the District water supply
and distribution systems was out
lined several years ago in a report
Of public utility" survey of the
systems made by a special board
of engineers headed by Riley E.
Elgen, chairman of the Public
Utilities Commission.
The proposed new 10000 000O-gal-
lon reservoir would be located ad-
jacent to the present $1,000 ,0OO-
gallon reservoir in Mcmillan Park.
1t will cost $4,000 and will
/ serve as a reserve for the existing
| reservoir at that location. This
reservoir will be constructed under
the direction of the district en-
! gineer of the War Department. who
! has supervision over the supply
! system, although the reservoir it
self is to be unit in the dis
tribution system. It will serve the
/ gravity flow area, which meets the
greatest demand from Washington
water users.
The Importance Of this project
is high-lighted by the fact that
the District recently completed and
! placed in operation a 100000
/ gallon reservoir constructed in the
/ grounds of the United States
Soldiers Home This reservoir
serves the first high-pressure area.
Would Improve Plant.
/ In addition to the new reservoir
in Mcmillan Park, the budget pro-
| vides s155 900 for improvements to
the existing water plant there.
! These include a new booster pump
and electric control equipment and
replacement of filter control equip
ment.
Possibility Of break, or the sabo-
tage of the conduitS which carry
all the water from Great Falls used
/ in Washington, moved the CommiS-
Sicners and the Budget Bureau to
recommend an item of $4,000 to
provide an emergency means Of
/ supplying the vital Dalecarlia reser-
voir. This would be done by changes
/ in the hydro-electr station at Dale
/ carlia so that it could be used as
a pumping station to force raw
water from the c. & o. Canal into
the reservoir. The reservoir wa
ter now is raw Potomac River wa
ter. and it is filtered before it comes
to Washington.
The Budget Bureau also approved
large projects for extensions of the
Water Department distribution sys-
tenn. These include s141.000 for
construction of 24-inch water main
in Good Hope road and Twenty
fifth street Sc. to Alabama and
Massachusetts, avenues Sc, and
100000 for beginning construction
of a 36-inch water main from the
vicinity of Thirteenth and Upshur
streets NV. to the vicinity of Thir-
teenth and Otis streets NE. The au-
thorized total cost of the latter is
$354,00