Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-22
POLLUTION IS MENACE
Plan to Keep Rock Creek and
Eastern Branch Pure.
COMMISSION is PROPOSED
Superintendent Phillips Sees Future
Danger in Conditions.
SEWAGE EXTENSION LAGS
Not Keeping Pace With Growth of
Population-Constr Costly
in Outlying Districts.
EXTENSION

AS a protection to the park system of
the National Capital and in the interests
of public health and sanitation. Asa f.
Phillips, superintendent of sewers, in his
annual report. recently submitted to the
commissioners, urges early steps to Sc
cure the cooperation of the state of
Maryland to keep free from sewage pol
luton Rock creek and the Eastern
branch
Sewage extension is not keeping pace
with the increase of population. owing
largely to the costliness of construction
in outlying districts in which the city has
principally built up, he also asserts.
Pointing out that the increasing popu
lation I'm Maryland along Rock creek and
the Eastern branch dumping their
drainage into the streams. Supt. Phillips
presents the outlines of a practical plan
for meeting the situation.
THE only practical solution for this
problem lie says: lis believed to be in
the formation of metropolitan district,
under the control of state and national
board, with power to construct the neces
sary valley intercepters for the removal
of the sewage. and that these intercept
ers be arranged so as to discharge at
the state line into the intercepters OF the
sewage disposal system of the District
of Columbia the District to be reim-
bursed for the cost of pumping and hand
ling the sewage from the Maryland towns
and villages by a state collected tax
levied upon the communities benefited,
which would also defray the cost of con-
struction and maintenance of the state
system.
THE present conditions are not such
as to render this matter of inme-
date urgency But the population in
these areas is quite rapidly increasing, 30
that. for a subject so complicated, espe-
ciaily i'm the matter of jurisdiction and
legislation which will require a number
of years TO develop, it is believed not too
soon to begin the study of the problem.
THE interests of the District are so i'm
mediate and the conservation of the
purity of these streams important for
the protection of the park systems. and
in the interest of the public health and
sanitation. that it is respectfully recon-
mended that board be appointed to
work in conjunction with such officials of
the state of Maryland as may be desig-
mated, for tentative consideration of the
subject as soon as the necessary author
ity may be obtained.
Sewerage Extension Lays.
Lack of sufficient funds, the superin-
tendent of sewers declares, has seriously
handicapped the work of maintenance
and prevented the work of extending the
sewer system to keep pace with the
growth of population
Construction Made Costly.
The greater portion of the increase of
population of the District he says, TAX
ing up the extension of the sewer sys-
TEN, has spread to the extensive areas
outside the old city limits requiring
largely increased expenditures for the
extension of the sewerage system. Yet
the necessary reconstruction of old city
lines has absorbed so considerable por-
ton of the appropriation that the work
of extending the system has not kept
pace with the growth of population"
The report shows that during the year
there were constructed 20,512.So linear
feet of main sewers. 1O3, 1872 linear feet
of pipe sewers and 235 storm water
basins.
In addition to the minor plans, sur
yeys and estimates for sewer extensions
and betterments during the year, certain
large projects have been wholly or in
part developed, Supt. Phillips states, and
the work of accommodating data essential
for the proper design of drainage works
materially advanced.