Evening star., 1953-03-01
Public Works
Continued From First Page.)

NSOAAVAA4uOO + ~ OO Z 0SC.J
service since it was established
in 1948, Mr.. Auld said. Last year,
the actual value of water used
was $1.247,594.
3. Increased assessment rates
for service water main extern
SiOnS.
The proposed increase is from
$1.90 per front foot of property
to So. This amount still will re-
turn less than half the actual
cost of the service, Mr.. Auld said.
4. Increase in the ceiling of
the present interest bearing
Federal loan to the water fund
from S23 million to S28 million.
Mr.. Auld said virtually all of
the $28 million Federal loan. as
we'll as other revenues, will be
used up by the end of the fiscal
year 1859. Part of this money,
officials pointed out. will go for
normal operating and mainte-
nance costs. After the six-year
period, the water fund will begin
paying off the Federal loan and
financing additional construction
projects from normal revenues.
The loan will be completely re-
paid by 1880.
During the slx-years starting
July l. Mr. Auld said, the in
creased water rates would bring
an additional $5,088,000: the
higher assessments. SAB, 500, and
the higher Federal bills, $2,107,-
600.
Serve TwO-FoId Purpose.
The construction projects,
meanwhile. will serve the two
fold purpose of bringing the
city's water supply within safe
margins. and getting essential
facilities for distributing it.
officials disclosed also that the
Commissioners are being asked
to tighten regulations dealing
with large conditioning units.
in order to save water. They
noted that of last years peak
day water use of 243 million GAL
Ions, more than 40 million GAL
Ions were used for air-condition-
ing.
In many such units, Mr. Auld
explained, water is run through
the cooling system once and dis
charged into sewers. His division
is proposing that machinery be
installed SO that the water can
be re-circulated. to cut the
volume.
Primary need for more water,
however, is the city's tremen-
douS growth. Since 1910, Mr..
Auld said, the volume used con-
sistently has been above predic-
tions. Last years average daily
us of 174 million gallons and it's
243 million-gallon daily peak had
not been expected until 1856.
Fall Short of Peak Loads.
Present conduits which carry
water form Great Falls to the
Dalecarlia Reservoir have a ca
pacity of 214 million gallons
daily-30 million gallons less
than the peak loads demanded
last year. On peak days last
summer, Mr.. Auld said, the diff
ference was made up from lin
ited-capacity storage reservoirs
around the city and by pumping
some water from the Baltimore
& Ohio Canal.
Under such conditions during
a sustained period. he said, any
pump failure or other major
breakdown could cause serious
water shortage.
Engineers look at the capa-
city figures and shudder." he
declared. "All standards require
margins for safety. We have no
margin"
A major project in the six
year program is a $40 million
facility to increase Dalecarlia' S
water supply. It includes a per-
manent concrete dam on the
Potomac River at Little Falls
and a pumping station at the
dams Maryland end, which will
lift water through q 10-foot rock
| tunnel to the reservoir. The
project was started this year.
BY 1856, it will have provided
a safe margin" Of water supply
and eventually will permit a ca
pacity of 480 million gallons Of
water a day, Mr.. Auld said.
Other Washington Aqueduct
projects include:
/. The start in 1856 Of 78-
inch water main which will run
from the Dalecarlia Filter Plant
across the entire city. It will
connect with the Mcmillan Res
ervoir in the center Of Washing
ton and then extend as far as