Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-05-20
Bills 10 Authorize
|S23 Million Loan for
Wafer System Pushed

Inc DlStrlctS chances OF gel
ting a $23 million loan to expand
the city water system appeared
bright today. following q dire
warning to Congress of what
would happen II new facilities are
not built.
The warnings came from Dis
trict officials yesterday at q Joint
hearing held by the Fiscal Sub
committees Of the Senate and
House District Committees.
The subcommittee were con-
Sidering q bill to authorize the
Commissioners to make such a
loan from the Federal Govern
ment, to be repaid from water re-
ceipts over l0-year period. The
funds would be used to expand
the water processing setup imme-
diately.
Senator Hunt, Democrat. of
Wyoming is chairman of the Sem
ate subcommittee. After the
hearings he said he would push
the bill and hopes to get it re-
ported out of the fun committee
in short order. His counterpart
on the House side. Representa-
tive ST. h. Democrat. of Virginia,
indicated he would do the same.
Federal Charge Eliminated.
To speed action. however, Sem
ator Hunt had the bill rewritten
to remove the section that would
force the Federal Government to
pay for the water it actually uses.
This provision was urged by En-
gineer Commissioner Gordon r.
Young when he appeared be-
fore the committee yesterday.
The new bill was introduced
promptly in both houses by Sena-
tor Hunt and Representative
Smith.
William Mcleod. House Dis
trict Committee clerk. said today
he plans to poll the committee
Monday on the new bill.
The new measure provides that
interest on loans from the Federal
Treasury be fixed at the lowest
interest rate available to the Dis
trict on the date of approval of
each loan respectively" The rate
would be fixed by the Secretary of
the Treasury.
Funds borrowed for the purpose
would be advanced either to the
District Commissioners or to the
chief of engineers of the Army,
who controls and operates the
aqueduct bringing water from
Great Falls to the city treatment
and distribution systems.
Pays 81 Million for Water.
The Federal Government now
gives the District a fiat 81 million
for water. Last year. however,
Federal installations here used
81 $4,000 worth. Before 1947,
the Federal Government paid the
District nothing for its water.
Joining Gen. Young in warning
of the threatened water shortage
here if new facilities are not built
were E. A. Schmitt, head engineer
of the Washington Aqueduct, and
Harold A. Kemp, director of san
itary engineering for the District.
Mr.. Schmitt said:
"We have reached the limit of
the amount of water we can turn
out. If we don't get additional
facilities soon. we will have to
curtail the use of water"
Mr.. Schmitt said the present
plant has a capacity of about 1876
million gallons a day. However,
in summer. a peak of $40 million
gallons a day is reached, some
times for a week at a stretch.
Sees Health Risk.
For short period the plant can
work with such an overload, he
stated, but if it lasts too long the
system will break down.
Mr.. Kemp said the sanitary con-
dition of the water source at
Great Falls is far inferior to what
it was in the 1905. He said that
without the present modern water
filtration and sterilization facili-
ties, deaths from typhoid could
exceed 1900 annually. In recent
years. no typhoid deaths have
been attributed to the water
supply.
Such a catastrophe could not
occur at the present time" Mr..
Kemp said. But I would be re-
miss if I did not point out the
danger to our health, due to ex-
cessive overlooking of our present
water supply.
II consider we have reached the
maximum overload permissible
without endangering the lives of
our people"