Evening star., 1922-06-16
FIND CHEVY CHASE
!. SEWER WATER BAD
Specimens Taken in Further
Investigation of Rock
Creek FouIness.

- Conditions declared to be bad were
found in the sewer waters emptSlhs
unto Rock creek from the Che'y
Chase, Md, sewage disposal plant
when Mai Willis p. Baker. Medical
t,orps. L, S. Army. went there to make
AN investigation today and to take
specimens of the water at various
points. Maj. Baker is working uhoer
The direction of Lieut.. Col. Clarence u
Sheriff., Engineer Corps. |. ). Army
officer in charge of pubic huiioihss
and grounds. in efforts to stop the con-
ltamination of the waters OF ROCK
creek by the dumping of sewage INTO
Il bv the Maryland towns north OF
Washington.
Raw sludge which the disposal
n1snt is sunnnsed TO retain until il is
Cleaned out and hauled away was on-
served tIis morning bubb'!rg up from
the bottom of the settlement pasIn;
iust outside the disposal pant, ana
was running down the dram waters Ter ;
into Rock creek This condition was
pointed TO by Mai. Bake" as nelns
bad, and was an indication that the
disposal plant was not working prop
erly.
Evidence of Overflow.
Evidences were found by Maj
Baker and a representative OF Inc
Star, who accompanied the medlcai
officer. of the disposal plant having
'overfowed at various times, thus al
lowing the raw. untreated sewage 10
flow directly down to Rock Creek.
The drain from the settlement basin
empties into Il large tributary or
Rock Creek several hundred rect
from where il dumps into the latter.
1t is a large stream. comparatively
and where the sewage disposal drain
empties into il the clear waters are
changed into the color of very soapy
water The sewer drain is about
one-third the volume of the stream
into which it flows.
Mai Baker pointed out that the
people of Chevy Chase probably be-
1ieve that thew are effectively dis
posing of their sewage. but on this
preliminary examination he said the
conditions look very bad Mai. Baker
took a large specimen OF the water
from the settlement basin. after the
sewage is supposed to have been
treated. then another specimen
through d manhole in the main before
the sewage reaches the disposal plant.
and another sample of the waters OF
the stream into which the sew age ais
men, and another taken from below
the point of the drain discharge, 1t is
eXpected to show in the bacteriolos-
ical tests just to what extent the town
of Chevy Chase contributed to the
contamination of Rock Creek
The specimens. ten in number. were
taken Immediately to the Army Med
ical School. where. under the direction
of Mai Baker. they will be put
through a series of meteorological
tests to determine the kind and
amount of bacteria present. These
tests take approximately forty-eight
hours, and it will be the first of next
week before Mai Baker Is ready to
report.
Discussion Is Sought.
Efforts were made by Maj Baker to
get in touch with John Madison. who
is said to be the town engineer in
charge of the disposal plant, to dis
cuss with him the conditions at the
plant. and find out just under what
plan 1T is operated. However, he
could not be located and Maj. Baker
came into the city with the speci-
mems.
The disposal plant at Chevy Chase
Is merely a brick shed, with a wood
roof. and series of syphons, intend
ed to leave the heavy matter in the
plant and syphon off the liquids. 1t
is reached after a ride along mar
row road, passing the lake. and then
u walk of about half mile through
woods and heavy underbrush. The
path is laid on top of the main, sew
eral of the manhole covers of which
were off, and through which the raw
sewage could be observed flowing
slowly down to the plant.
: II was pointed out by Maj. Baker
that the appearance of the sewage run
ming through the main was about the
same as when II flowed out of the set
Element basin after passing through the
disposal plant.
Maj Baker has been in conference
with DR.. G. w. Mccoy. head of the
hygienic laboratory of the United States
public health service. in connection
with the proposed case of the United
States to force the Maryland towns to
desist from dumping their sewage into
the waters of Rock creek. DR.. Mccoy
is an authority 0n water pollution and
is thoroughly familiar with the legal
phases of the problem, having had con-
siderable experience in connection with
his Guties in the public health service.