Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-30

OF WASHINGTON
CREEPS FAR INTO SUBURBS
Twice as Much Area Beyond City Limits as Within
Provided With Sewage-Purifcation
of Adjacent Waters.

cat the present time suburban area
about twice that Of the city of Washing
ton is provided with drainage"
This sentence is in the annual report Of
Superintendent of Sewers A. r. Phillips.
What he means can be better appreciated
when it Is understood that by the area OF
the city is meant territory within the
original limits, bounded on the north by
Florida avenue and on the other sides by
Rock creek, the Potomac and Eastern
branch.
That area. over four miles from north
to south. and some two miles and a half
from east to west, is now only section
of the present city of Washington. At
the present time the city covers sur
face twice as large as territory within
the original urban bounds.
AS yet the sewer system has not ex-
tended over the entire District, which
includes Sixty-nine square miles. PROGRESS
In that direction may be inferred from
what is being done In providing the
area with sewers.
The country tributary to Washing
ton. properly suburbs Of the city. fall
within the swing of circle. the radius
of which extends some twenty miles out
from the center-the White House.
Far Ends Of Sewage System.
Plans for sewers are being made. and
in some instances an actual start in the
work has been made that will connect
the city system with the neighborhoods OF
Brookland and Langdon in the northeast
and with the Georgia avenue country north
Of the approach to Takoma, and with the
region in the vicinity of the Chevy Chase
Circle. This is evidence that the city Is
approaching those localities, and, in fact,
hos oil
Other indications are found in the ex-
tension and growth of this necessary adj
junct of urban progress. 1t is proposed
to abandon the use of the waterways sur
rounding the city as places OF sewage dis
poSal.
This was done some years ago In the
case of Rock creek south of street
North of that point the creek still serves
that purpose. although its use is limited
The same use is made of the potomac
water front for practically all the sewage
of Georgetown.
Publication of Adjacent Waters.
Into the Eastern branch still pours the
sewage from the eastern side OF that
stream out on the flats and in front of
the navy yard and that part of the water
front. Fortunately for the health of the
city the outlets into the branch from the
city side are no longer used, but are con-
at the foot Of New Jersey avenue.
1t is now proposed to build sewers along
the banks Of these streams SO as to gath
er not only the surface drainage of the
great areas but also the sewage. Rock
creek will then be free from pollution
along it's entire course withia the Dis
trict, for it is designed to continue the
sewer all along its banks to the District
bounds.
An intercepting sewer is intended to
w G a
valley as we'll as to divert sewerage from
the stream. Such Improvement will he
in line with the reclamation of that
stream. which is now in more favorable
stage in it's long and slow progress than
ever before.
1t seems that something will. be done
toward gathering up the reduced waters
of this once commercial waterway and
combining them within suitable borders
and then Transforming the swamp locality
into an attractive park such as is now
enjoyed along the Potomac north OF the
railway bridge.
along the east side OF the Potomac is to |
be carried all the way along to the Dis |
trct bounds just as will be done along the |
banks of the Rock creek. In the case of |
the Eastern branch it is proposed just |
now to build the sewer from Benning |
to Poplar point.
All these long lines now i'm use pro-
posed for the future form part of the |
system pidilneu some years ago dllCV
during the past few years at
a cost Of something like FIVE millions of |
dollars. 1t is known as the sewage dis
posal system.
All the sewage OF the city centers at
the pumping station at the foot Of New
Jersey avenue and from thence is pumped |
through pipes passing beneath the East
ern branch and so on south to a point
on the Potomac some four miles below
the city where the discharge into that
stream is made.
Work Done in Past Year.
The forward advance in suburban ex-
tension is shown by the following sum-
mary Of the contract work done during
the year ended June 80 last. as given
by Mr.. Phillips in his annual report:
From the appropriation for suburban
sewers the following were constructed I'M
der contract: A sepa ate system trunk
line extending along Beach drive in Rock
Creek Park from Piney branch to Boul-
der bridge was completed. 1851 feet In
length, and the work was under construc-
ton as far as Military road. In Blag- !: