The Washington times., 1916-04-04
THE WASHINGTON SUBURBAN
SANITARY COMMISSION

passage by the Maryland legislature
of the bill introduced by Delegate
Paul Y. Waters Of Montgomery
county creating the Washington
Suburban Sanitary Commission will
be received with satisfaction both in
those parts of Maryland affected and
in the District of Columbia.
The measure is of vital import
ance to both jurisdictions.
The commission, -gnich IL to be a
joint body representing both coun-
ties, will study water-supply and
sewerage conditions in those parts Of
Montgomery and Prince George
counties adjacent to Washington and
report specifically the legislation
needed by the next session Of the
Maryland legislature in order to Sc
cure pure water and adequate sew
erage facilities.
In the meantime, the commission
is given authority to enter into re-
ciprocal sewerage arrangements with
the District Of Columbia.
Need for the legislation has been
apparent for some time.
To Mr.. Waters goes the credit for
making the fight for the bill in the
crowded closing hours of the session.
Cooperation between Maryland
and the District of Columbia in pre-
venting contamination Of streams
common to both is essential.
It's necessity has been pointed out
by The Times editorially on several
occasions.
The Times was opposed to the orig
inal Blandford sanitary measure be-
cause it believed that the legislation
was premature and that it vested in
the proposed commission powers
which, in view of existing conditions,
were not only unnecessary but I'M
warranted.
The publicity given to the measure
by The Times proved that many resi-
dents of both counties and municipal
authorities, who until then were I'M
aware of the introduction of the bill,
shared this view. The Blandford
measure was sensibly withdrawn and
the Waters substitute measure
adopted.
The new commission will doubtless
find invaluable in its work the able
and comprehensive report upon the
collection and disposal of the sew
age Of those sections Of Maryland
adjacent to the District of Columbia
made in 1914 to the sewerage COM
mission Of Montgomery and Prince
George counties by Robert B. Morse,
chief engineer of the Maryland de-
partment Of health.
This report, which is most inter-
esting document, contains sixty
printed pages together with a num-
Der of diagrams and plates, and 'is
excellent so far as it goes.
Engineer Morse treated the sew
erage problem in the territory COW
cred by the Waters bill from the
standpoint of topography and popu-
lation, and recommended the. con-
struction of main drainage systems
costing $538,500, with an annual
maintenance charge Of 500, 159.
He divided the territory into four
natural drainage areas-Rock Creek,
Anacostia river, Little Falls brook,
and Oxon run-covering 102 square
miles, termed the Washington subur-
ban sanitary district.
The present population of this
area is about 10000 and Engineer
Morse estimated that by 1850 it
would be 100000; population in this
area is growing much faster than in
the District of Columbia, and has
more than doubled since 1900.
Engineer Morse recommended i'm
mediate action looking to water and
sewer systems for the towns of
Silver Spring, Mt. Rainier, Brent
wood, Bladensburg, Riverdale, Col
lege Park, Berwyn, and Branchville.
Engineer Morse's report was
merely preliminary, and touched
only incidentally upon the water sit
uation, concerning which he recon-
mended the comprehensive study
which the new commission will
doubtless make.
The commission may we'll heed the
following from the report:
There is no part of MARYLAND IN
such crying need OF proper public
| water supplies as are many portions
or the sanitary district, and II thew
cannot be installed by the counties
or by joint municipal action certain-
ly II would seem as IL splendid on
portunities were offered for the IN
Yestment OF private capital.
Early steps should NE taken to de-
wise a basis for agreement with the
District of Columbia and to have ac-
! tion taken empowering the District
| authorities to enter into agreements
for disposlng of Maryland sewage
and for discharging the sewage from
! certain District of Columbia areas
into Maryland sewers,
Now that Maryland has its COM
| .....asa.. g. Al l..