The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-09-19

growth OF the District Is the opinion Of
Asa z Philips. superintendent Of sew
ers- IN his annual report, submitted 10
the Commissioners today.
At present. according to the report
there are 5000 dwellings without avail
able sewers and several hundred with
subsoil drains, septic tanks, cesspOoIs,
and other ''makeshift arrangements
Conditions Bad.
Water supply and sewerage are
now Health Department requirements
throughout the District, and a sewer
has become as essential a part Of q
house as its roof. yet the number OF
dwellings without sewer connections
have recently increased. rather than
diminished, notwithstanding the effort
that has been made 70 stretch the sewer
construction by Small and inexpensive
'seperate' sewers 20 the greatest possible
mileage" says the report
Considerably increased funds are
greatly needed to provide Iong-delayed
sewerage in many sections and to per
NIT the rational development Of the
system
The rapid development OF urban areas
IN many parts OF the District urgently
requires constant extension Of the com
sTuCIIOn OF storm sewers As the
natural water courses are filled By
grading the extended streets to the eS-
tablished grades. artificial water courses
must be provided. and yet, fog several
years, funds have been substantially
denied for this work, and at present 4;
IS seriously in arears-'
Would Abandon Canal.
IN order TO make possible the con-
grounds 70 the War College, the aban-
donment Of the James creek canal Is
recommended Mr. Phillips says of this
feature
The use Of this canal for commercial
purposes appears 10 be the only reason
for its continuance This Is necessarily
confined 10 two blocks. between y and
p streets, a frontage of less than a
thousand feet, and for which nearly a
mile Of canal must be maintained. This
can hardly be justified economically. and
for sanitary reasons, especially in view
Of the proximity of the War College and
the Washington Barracks, its further
maintenance is belieevd to be undeSir-
able
Mr. Phillips renews his recommends
ton that steps be taken toward securing
Rock creek and the Anacostia river
from pollution by the sewage OF sub
urban towns in Maryland.
According to the report, the District
is spending large sums Of money for
drainage within its borders to exclude
all sewage from these streams. while at
the same time, lust across the line in
Maryland. raw sewage is discharged in
increasing volume from the neighbOrinS
towns and villages MI Phillips offers
the following solution
solution Offered.
The only adequate solution Of the
problem is the extension Of interceptors
up both valleys 10 connect with laterals
from the several towns. thus providing
for the sanitary removal Of the sewage
These interceptors should be so ar
ranged as to discharge at the Maryland
line into the interceptors Of the Sewage
Disposal System Of the District Of Co
lanbia. The construction and mainten-
anCe Of the interceptoTS should be pro-
vided for by q State tax levied against
she communities benefited, and from
which the District would be reimbursed
for the actual cost of pumping and
handling the Maryland sewage
To provide the necessary executive
control would require the formation OF
a Metropolitan Drainage District, with a
state and national board, with power to
construct the necessary lnterceptOrs,
and provide for their maintenance ap-
ing such regulations as may be neceS-
sary for the protection OF the drainage
works and their utilization.
The present conditions are not such
as TO render this a matter OF immediate
urgency, but the pollution in these areas
is quite rapidly increasing. so that for
a subject 50 complicated IN jurisdiction
and legislation especially, which viii re-
Guire a number OF years 10 develop. it
is believed not too soon 10 begin the
work
Purity Important.
The purity Of these streams is so i'm
2Ortant for the protection CT the park
systems, and IN the interest Of public
health and sanitation, that action should
be no longer delayed
The report shows that the total length
Of sewers requiring. maintenance has
increased in twenty years from 2S5-3 to
SIS S. miles. while the appropriation for
maintenance has scarcely increased at
all The appropriation for Maintenance
in 1891 was SO, 0e0- In 1910 II was S4S,500-
The number Of miles OF sewer con-
stTucted during the last fiscal year
was 1885. at an average cost of SIS, 623 81.