The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-08-02
WASHINGTON'S SEWERS.
HOW THE PRESENT SYSTEM COULD
BE IMPROVED,

Some of Its Defects Pointed Out and
the Way to Remedy Them shown
Carrying the Sewage far Below the
City.
The following is an abstract Of an article on
proposed new sewer system for Washington
prepared by civil engineer of this city:
The three sewers that drain the greater part
of Washington are the Boundary sewer, Tiber
Creek sewer, and b street sewer. The
Boundary sewer drains large area to the
north of Washington, and part of northern
Washington. 1t discharges into Anacostia
River to the northeast of Washington Several
small streams flow into this sewer At the
time it was built 1t was the largest
sewer then constructed. The Tiber Creek
and the B street sewers and con-
nections drain the heart of the city of
sewage. The Tiber Creek sewer empties
into the old James Creek Canal, an open
channel, in South Washington, which has it's
outlet into Anacostia, to the west of the
Arsenal. 1t drains the east central part of
the city. The street sewer drains the west
central part Of the city. 1t flows west along
B street north, and empties into an open
channel or canal that flows from foot of
Seventeenth street across the Kidwell Flats,
and empties into the Potomac River. A large
sewer on Boundary street northwest flows
west and hasits outfall in Rock Creek.
Many minor sewers drain into the river d.
rectly.
The defects In the present sewer system are
many. All sewage is at present discharged
into the river on the borders of the city. The
river is largely composed OF 'tfats," or very
shallow water, where at low tide the water is
but foot or two in depth; and often, after
strong northerly winds, the water in the river
is lowered, and large part of the ground is
exposed above water level. In the summer
these flats are overgrown with grass several
feet in length, that readily retains floating
matter The channel of the river is but
small part of its width. The sewage dis
charging into the river in this way leaves
deposits OF the heavier matter at the bottom
of the river. This matter decomposes, giving
off unhealthy gases
The worst effects from the present system
arises from the presence and retention in the
city of sewage that is not allowed to flow
rapidly away, thereby generating offensive
gasses in the heart of the city, causing zymotic
disease. This is due to the insufficient capa-
city and slope and faulty shapes of the pres
ent sewers that prevent the sewage from flow
ing rapidly away. Another evil is that in
times of excessive rains much damage is done
by the overflow of the low area, owing to de-
fective sewers. More especially are these
faults found existing in the Tiber Creek and
B-street sewers. The Tiber Creek sewer fol-
lows the original course of that stream and
was built as regards shape to comply with ex-
isting natural conditions, and small popula-
ton in the past has not favored the more ex-
pensive artificial methods of drainage The
low area not admitting sufficient natural
fall for properly shaped sewers, this sewer
was built wide and low and with fat bottoms,
TO be under ground and to accommodate the
heavy flow. Both of these sewers are It'd e.
locked and are thereby prevented from dis
charging freely. The Tlber Creek and B.
street sewers are but elongated ce sspools.
Another evil that Washington suffers from
is the overflow of the low area by freshets.
Three disastrous freshets have occurred within
the last few years, namely, in 1877, 1881 and
1889. The last one was the most severe of
which there is any record. 1t occurred in
June, 1889, and overfiowed 254 acres of streets
and private lands and 154 acres of parks and
public grounds.
Evidently, consideration OF an improved
sewerage system involves a remedy for this
defect. In the report of the Engineer Com
missioner of the District OF Columbia for 1889
remedy is suggested for the overflow, which
was TO raise the level of the low area by filing
to such height as to keep out high water.
For small circular sewers not exceeding two
feet vitrifed clay pipes are used, fitted with
sleeve joints and laid in concrete For diam
eters over two feet and not exceeding five feet
the "egg-shaped" sewer is used, with two
ring courses of half brick thickness for each
course, enveloped IN concrete. For diameters
exceeding five feet the circular sewer is used,
with three ring courses one-half brick each,
and enveloped in concrete. The egg-shaped
sewer has the advantage of concentrating the
flow, affording better opportunity for scour-
ing and greater velocity. The circular sewer
is well adapted to sewers Of large diameter,
being effectual and combining the greater
strength and capacity with the smallest
amount of brickwork for given area.
In localities where the earth is saturated
with water, or where springs are encountered,
sub-drainage pipes are laid, with open joints,
below the sewer, surrounded by broken stone.
The low area should be drained in this way,
as 1t will make the earth dryer and conditions
healthier.
The chief methods of sewage disposal are