The Washington times., 1917-03-27
PLAN PRESENTATION
OF SEWER PROJECT
Sanitary Commission to Outline
Proposal to All Comuni-
ties to Be Served.

water, sewerage, and drainage condi-
tions within the 102 square miles of
adjacent Maryland territory within
the, Washington suburban sanitary
district to be served by the extension
of District water and sewers. as
urged by The Times, is planed by the
members of the Washington Subur-
ban Sanitary Commission.
The entire project in detail will be
presented to each of the Maryland
communities to be served at a series
. of meetings which will begin within
a few weeks.
William T. S. Curtis, chairman OF
the Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission, today said the work Is
in accordance with the act of the last
Maryland legislature creating the
commission, which charges the COM
missioners with the duty Of preparing
surveys, dividing the sanitary ais
trict into water, sewerage, ana drain
age districts, and designating these
divisions by following the natural
drainage areas as near as possible
Prepares Much Data.
As directed by the act, the commits
sion has prepared a mass of detailed
information, the results of extended
field Investigations, and now has prac-
tically completed studies, plats, plans.
diagrams, and estimates showing the
construction necessary in each sec
ton, together with the approximate
cost in each case.
A large force of engineers and sur
veyors, working, under the direction
of the commission and Rooert d.
Morse, chief engineer OF the Mary
land state Board of Health, who also
is chief engineer of the commission
has practically completed new sur
Vey of the entire Washington SUD-
urban sanitary district
The new maps and plats divide the
sanitary district into four drainage
areas, which will be known as the
Rock creek, Anacostia river. Little
Fails brook, and Oxon run areas, re-
spectively. The largest by far is the
Anacostia river area
It is estimated that the cost OF con-
struction of the main drainage sys-
TENS alone, in the areas affected, will
exceed half q million dollars
$4,000 I'm Territory.
The Washington suburban sanitary
district includes in Montgomery
county the towns of Takoma Park,
Chevy Chase, Kensington, Garrett
Park. Silver Spring, Forest Glen,
Wheaton and Burnt Mills. In Prince
Georges county 1t includes Hyatts-
vile, Mt. Rainier, which, however,
was specifically excepted from the
act-Bladensburg, Brentwood, Land
over, Riverdale, College Park, Lake
land, Berwyn, and Branchville.
The population OF the Washington
Suburban Sanitary District is now
well over $4,000.
The act creating the Washington
Suburban Sanitary Commission d.
rects that body to explain to the
public the necessity and advantage
of constructing comprehensive water
supply, sewerage, and drainage sys-
TENS" and to hold public meetings
whenever necessary in the Maryland
communities to be served.
Chairman Curtis said all the in
formation necessary for a full pres
entation OF the question is now in the
hands of the commission except the
exact cost OF supplying the water
from the District system.
PropOrtIonate Charge Levied.
Under legislation by the last Con-
gress urged by The Times, author
izing the extension of the water to
nearby Maryland points, an amount
not to exceed 100000 gallons daily
is to be furnished at rates to be
based upon the actual cost of de-
livery to the District. This figure
will be fixed by charging Maryland
its proportional share Of the cost of
maintaining the District system, such
share to be in the same ratio to the
total expense of maintaining the Dis
trict's system as Maryland's water
consumption Is to the total consump-
tion.
Members OF the Washington Sub
urban Sanitary Commission point out
that through this method Maryland
Is to be treated as any other water
user, the District selling the water
at cost with an interest charge OF
4 per cent and a reasonable allow
ance for depreciation.
The exact cost figures for supply
ing Maryland cannot be obtained at
. this time, however, because the Dis
triet water system is now under
going a physical valuation under the
direction of ]. S. Garland, superin-
tendent of the District Water Depart
ment Mr.. Garland said today that
the work may not be completed for
a month. Meanwhile members OF the
Washington Suburban Sanitary Com
mi~S ion are handicapped in seeking
exact cost figures.
Cost to BE Small.
Engineer Morse estimates that
1,TO0. 900 gallons daily will be re.
quired for Maryland at the outset,
and that the 5000. 900 gallons maxi
mum fixed by the bill will not be need
ed until 1880. The mean daily con-
sumption in the District is practically
60, 1000, 900 gallons.
1t is contended that Naryland's
share OF the cost. on this basis, will
be relatively small, and that in any
event Maryland communities will be
able to buy water from the District
cheaper than they can supply IL from
separate systems now in use, owing
TO the undoubted efficiency of the
larger system.
Before connections with the Dis
trict's water mains can be made ii
will be necessary for the Maryland
Legislature to pass an enabling act
authorizing the Washington Suburb
an Sanitary Commission TO contract