Evening star., 1947-11-18
Council Given
Bond |ssuePIan
InFaI|sChurch
Engineer Presents
$3.50, 900 Proposal
For Water System

A proposal to issue $1.630.00 IN
general obligation bonds to finance
enlargement of the Falls Church
water system was taken under con-
sideration last night at a meeting
OF the Town Council.
The proposal for 30-year bonds
bearing per cent interest was sub
mitted by Bernard Locraft, Wash
ington consulting engineer retained
by the counsel, but town authorities
were skeptical about undertaking
the project.
One member of the Town Plan
ming Commission said the Virginia
constitution would not permit such
heavy financing by the community.
Mr.. Locraft conceded that the plan
was submitted on basis which did
not call for enough revenue from the
project to carry the bond issue until
1855. He nevertheless recommended
the construction of the system.
30-Inch Line Called For.
The plan calls for the immediate
connection of .24-inch line to the
Arlington County supply at the Vir-
ginia end of Chain Bridge and the
eventual construction of a 30-inch
line across the Potomac River to
connect with Dalecarlia Reservoir.
1t provides for funds to condemn
land and construct this part of the
line across the river when the Fed
eral Government builds a dam abovs
Chain Bridge to provide additional
water for Washington.
Meanwhile, it lis assumed, the
Board of Army Engineers would re-
quire Arlington County to provide
sufficient water for Falls Church
until the dam Is built, about 1855.
Mr.. Locraft recommended general
liability bonds rather than water
revenue bonds because, he said, the
general liability bonds can be sold
at much lower rate of interest.
A member of the Falls Church
Planning Commission held that
since the Virginia constitution pro-
hibits the floating of bonds in ex-
cess of 18 per cent of a community's
assessed valuation, the water system
proposal could not be adopted.
Fall Church's assessed valuation Is
slightly less than $5,0o0,000.
Cost of the project, as itemized
by the engineer, is as follows: Dale
carlia to Virginia shore, 100000:
24-inch line to Falls Church. $780,
900: pumping station. 5000; two
600, ,000- 0-gallon storage tanks, 0.000;
engineering, 100000, and financing.
IS 900.
Two Reservoirs Urged.
The report stated that present
storage facilities are inadequate for
the area the town now serves and
it recommends the construction Of
two 600, ,000- gallon reservoirs, one at
ChesteFbrook and @one on Mount
Daniel, just off Haycock road OUT
side Falls Church. There would be
a pumping station at Chesterbrook
to boost the water to the reservoir
on Mount Daniel.
The council took no action on the
report but members were generally
critical of the cost involved. Early
estimates of the project had been
much lower, and some members
doubted that general obligation
bonds could be f1oated.
After the bond issue discussion,
the Cou14cil set the tax rate for the
1947-8 fiscal year at $3.50 per 500,
the same as it has been for several
years.
The Council also complied with
the request of the Virginia League
of Municipalities that it appropriate
its quota of funds to join with other
Virginia cities in opposing the tele-
phone rate increase proposal now be-
fore the Virginia Corporation Conn
mission