Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-03
BIG SEWAGE PLAN
Drainage of Maryland Towns
Through District Conduits.
TO SAVE RIVER POLLUTION
Proposal to Include All Nearby
Suburbs in System.
WILL TAKE YEARS TO DO IT
Question Of Jurisdiction Among
Many Others to Be Considered
in Project.
TO SAVE RIVER POLLUTION


Towns in Maryland lying along or near
the District line from the Anacostia 70
the Potomac rivers. which have been
hoping to get a modern drainage and
sewage disposal system by coupling the
existing mains with the Districts trunk
line which runs along the boundary OF
the District, seem doomed to temporary
disappointment. as Supt Phillips OF the
sewer department can see no way at
present to overcome several difficulties
which lie in the path of this project
First and foremost. a study OF the
topography on maps secured for the pur-
pose shows that 1t would be a phs steal
impossibi.lty to connect these Marylani
suburbs with the District system in the
way Indicated. This is the opinion of
Sup. Phillips. who says. however. tina.
careful personal study of tn, ground
may reveal some method Of connection
Owing to an enormous pressure of work
in other directions he has not beer able
to make a personal inspection Of the
lan0.
General System Proposed.
However. the report OF the sewer de-
rartment. now being prepared by Mr..
Phillips, will have a strong recommends
ton for a metropolitan system which Will
include the towns mentioned as well as
hundreds Of other localities which drain
into the Potomac and the Anacostia
rivers. This is one OF the very i3rgest
projects which the engineers of the Dis
trict government have under coasids ra-
tim. When the many details OF this
project are worked out IL is assured that
all the Maryland towns in Rock Creek
valley, along the Potomac and Eastern
branch will send their drainage right
through the District system into the big
pumping station In Southeast Washing
ton.
Besides the physical problems to be
solved there is the question of jurisdic-
ton. The state of Maryland will have
to cooperate with the District OF CO.
lumbia. A bill introduced in the Mary
land legislature last session provides
broadly for the formation OF a commits
sion to decide this big drainage question,
and under that bill. II Is believed by Mr..
Phillips. the first steps toward the crea-
ton of q board or commission to con-
slider the matter can be taken.
Many Towns Interested.
Maryland residents along the edge of
the District are coming to the District
building weekly. each town and suburb
having its particular sewer problem. II
there was but one town to be considered
gineers to settle II. They could arrange
with the property owners OF the town to
lay their sewer up to one Of the big in
terceptors." such as that one which fol-
lows Rock creek through the park, and
the drainage would all run into the
pumping station. But there are scores
OF towns and settlements, and taken as
whole area, there is no community OF
ideas I'm regard to their various sewer
systems. Their sewers start nowhere and
end nowhere. as far as the Districts
system is concerned. Yet, all In all,
they drain eventually into Rock creek,
into the Potomac and into the Anacostia
river. These three streams in time would
be polluted beyond description IL
scheme should not be worked out where
by all these towns would be collected
In q metropolitan sewer system. When
that scheme Ii worked out then there
will not be Q drop Of drainage running
from any town within a great many
miles of Washington into any Of the
three streams affected.