Evening star., 1953-07-30
RockviIIeGroup
Tohap P|anson
Water Supply
Council to Meet
Tomorrow on Pleas
To Lift Restrictions

~ LII NSSNBUSAtVutS
The Mayor and City Council
of Rockville last night spent
more than three hours telling
residents about the community's
shortage of a place to store
water.
At the council meeting in
Rockville's courthouse, the coun-
Gil and more than 800 citizens
agreed to the appointment Of a
f1ve-man citizens committee
which will meet with the coun-
Gil next week to devise a long
range plan so that shortage
of water will not occur. The
committee has not yet been
named.
The council also agreed to
meet again tomorrow. Then it
will announce its decision on
recent pleas to reScind current
restrictions on water use which
deny residents permission to
water their lawns and trees.
The ordinance forbids use of
water for anything not con-
Sidered in the normal domestic
need"
Mayor Daniel r. Weddle ac-
cused the residents of unnec-
cesSary excitement. "You could
have a little more confidence
and a little less hysteria." he
declared.
Denies Illness Caused.
Backed by statements from
Montgomery County Health
Department physicians. Mayor
Weddle assured the group that
the water shortage "has nothing
to do whatsoever with the re-
cent illnesses at Chestnut Lodge
Sanitarium, where a number of
nurses have been stricken with
what appeared to be a form OF
polio"
According to DE- v. L. Elli-
colt, the final diagnosis has not
been made. We may not know
the results of our test for many
weeks" he told the citizens.
The Mayor revealed for the
first time that Rockville's under
ground water supply is commit
ted to civil defense authorities
in event of an attack on the
Nations Capital.
I'VE have the only pure water
in the whole area,p he con-
tended, "and in the event OF
an attack they will call on U.S.
They'll be in bad shape" a
spectator retorted.
In answer to questions, coun-
Gil members reported that Rock
vile has 80 wells. The COM
munity consumes 100000 gallons
of water daily under current re-
strictions. City Engineer John
McDonough contended that this
was enough for Rockville's do
mestic needs.
Reserve Supply Held.
Explaining the present short
age, the Mayor told the group
that the condition exists because
of insufficient storage space. I'VE
are now holding in reserve 575.-
900 gallons" he said.
He explained that installation
of a new storage tank of l.
million gallon capacity would be
completed next year at a cost Of
$50, 900. However, Mr.. Nc
Donough warned, a seasonal drop
in water levels probably would
cause another shortage in Octo-
ber.
Peter Sawitz of Rockville ex-
pressed dissatisfaction with COM
parison figures drawn from other
areas Of the country. They show
that Rockville's present con-
sumption is no lower than many
other comparable communities.
He remarked:
"Our normal need is not what
you say but what we say. It's
the duty of our local government
to tell us what that need would
cost. It is up to us to decide
if we want to spend the money
to buy it,"
Several people suggested to the
board that the possibility of
purchasing water from the
Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission be considered. as
well as drawing water from the
Potomac River, and building a
plant to purify it.
Survey Demand Renewed.
The residents renewed a de-
mand made last week, calling
on the council to make a thor
ough technical survey of Rock
ville'S present and future water
requirements and making a pub
lie report on the findings.
Ezra B. Whitman, a Balti-
more engineer. assured the resi-
dents that their problem was
not an unusual thing.
"It's being experienced all over
the country" he said.
The citizens asked Mayor
Weddle why he continues to
approve building permits for
firms constructing large apart
mentS and commercial buildings
when he knew it was "an added
drain" on Rockville's water ia
cilitieS.
What would you doP" he re-
piled.
Several Tesidents asked the
Mayor why he failed to attend
the mass meeting called last
week on the water situation by
the Rockville Citizens Action
Committee. He replied:
after I made the promise,
talked with Mr.. McDonough and