The Washington times., 1903-11-10
TRUNK SEWER THROUGH
UNDIVIDED PROPERTY
Commissioners Reply to-
BrightwOOd Owners.
AFFECTS SUBURBAN HOUSES
Question Of Assessing Cost of Drain
age on Abutting Property Where
No Streets Exist.

District Commissioner Biddle has re-
piled to the request of taxpayers and
residents of the District in the vicinity
of Brightwood. in the matter of con
structing q trunk sewer on Oglethorpe
Street from Fifth Street TO Brightwood
Avenue. The District Commissioners
failed TO include this Improvement in
their estimates recently completed. and
the residents in Brightwood section ask
ed that tire subject be referred to the
Health officer 70. report as 10 the neces-
sity OF the sewer. from a sanitary point
of TEX
AS the writer's are very anxious this
matter should DE referred 10 the Health
Officer" says Colonel Biddle. u move
that this be done although there is 10
question in my mind that the sewer at
this point OF any other point in the Dis
trict where there are houses. Is desi-a-
bic. The general situation tn this case
IS as follows: The appropriation for sew
crs FOR suburban districts is Under two
heads. that for suburban sewers and
that for permit and assessment work.
Besides these occasional appropriations
are made specifically for certain large
sewers. such as the Arizona Avenue
sewer IVY City sewer. and Others.
Practice of ONCE.
THE practice Of this office has been.
as stated TO Congress in different hear
inss before the committees. that this
appropriation for suburban sew@rs is
used for sewers OF a size large enough
TO be considered in the light of trunk
sewers. and fifteen inches has been con
sldered the smallest size to which this
s of
size or greater TO be paid for by the
abutting property owners would make
an undue tax against the owners.
IAN sewers smaller than this have
been paid for out Of the appropriate
for permit and assessment work, the
owners Of the abutting property bearing
half the cost. In this special instance
. in order to have a complete sewer sys-
TEN. caring for both house sewage and
storm water would necessitate the
building OF a large sewer. probably
down Piney Branch which would re-
quire a specific appropriation from
/ Congress. In order. however. that
/ houses in the general vicinity might
have water introduced. a small sewer
I the greatest size Of which is twenty-one
inches. was built in that locality. and
the connecting sewers were put in by
the property owners
The Right of Way.
The difficulty in this special instance
crises from the fact that a large part
/ OF this sewer which will cost in all
about s. ,2Ge. lies through unsubdivided
property The owners Of this property
/ offer 10 give the right OF way instead
+ Of the assessment. which would about
counterbalance. but on the other hand,
when this property is subdivided and
streets laid our the right OF way will be
obtained without expense and the abut-
ting property would have to pay half
the cost of the sewer. II this sewer was
therefore constructed at the whole cost
Of the District. the district would be
/ paying about 50 500, which, under the
practice OF the Office and the spirit OF
I the law. should be borne by owners of
the abutting property.
THE Commissioners intend to intro
duce a bill at the present session Of
/ Congress by which q sewer can be con-
structed through unillt,divided proper
/ ty and the assessment -5Slade when the
property is subdivided. IN this way this
I question could be readily handled, and
I II this bill passes. lie sewer can be
I constructed during ths fiscal year. That
/ sewers serving a less number Of houses
! than in this case have been constructed
out Of the appropriations for suburban
sewers IS certainly a fact. but IN each
! case they were sewers OF a larger size.
and will eventually take care OF the
! sewage Of a larger extent Of territory"