Evening star., 1922-06-14
WANT INJUNCTION
!. To END POLLUTION
OF ROCK CREEK
Officials Rush Gathering of
Evidence for Presentation
at Court.
WORK MADE DIFFICULT
BY LACK OF ILLNESS
Hope Maryland May Act on Letter
of Sheriff. Without
Legal Steps.

Legal Steps.
Evidence TO form the basis of AN
injunction against the Maryland
towns north of Washington TO pre-
vent them from emptying their sew
age into and otherwise polluting the
waters of Rock creek is being work
ed up as rapidly as possible by Maj
Willis j. Baker. Army Medical Corps.
in charge Of the sanitary conditions
of the federal parkways here, and an
officer of the judge advocate gen
erals department.
Authorities are being examined on
the subject, and the whole matter is
being gone into thoroughly. Speci-
mems of the sewage are being col
lected at various points along the
stream, and it is probable that these
Will be introduced as exhibits in the
case, together with the results of
I laboratory tests made under the di
rection of Maj. Baker.
1t was explained today by Maj.
Baker that the matter is made more
d fficult in view of the fact that no
deaths o: serious illnesses have yet
been traced directly to people bath
ing in the creek. At the present time
the waters are not offensive, he said,
and the case Will be made princi-
pally on psychological tests made at
various times. All the work Of
gathering the evidence and making
the tests is being done in the pres
ence of competent witnesses, SO that
the federal officers will have a strong
backing when they are ready to 60
before the court to ask an injunction.
In the meantime. however. if is the
hope that legal steps Will not be
necessary, and that the Maryland
sanitary commission will take some
| steps. in answer TO the letter recently
written them by Lieut.. Col. Clarence
o. Sheriff., corps of engineers. United
States Army. officer i'll charge OF
public buildings and grounds, to pre-
| vent further pollution of the waters.
; 1t is the desire of the federal officials
that the corrective steps be taken
, voluntarily, to stop the dumping or
sewage, until such time as the Mary
/ land sewage system are connected UP
with the District in accordance with
! authority granted by Congress several
/ years ago.
Years TO Clean Water.
Congress has approved a plan under
which the sewer systems OF Mary
land and the District ultimately will
be connected up and the streams OF
disposal
At this time. however. the main
/ interceptors which are to join the
pipes of the two Jurisdictions and
carry sewage from the Maryland
towns through the District sewers
To the local pumping station are a
considerable distance from com
pletion on both sides of the District
/ line.
Because of the prominence OF
Rock creek as one of the natural
attractions of the National Capital.
the removal of sewage from that
| stream is regarded as the most i'm
portant.
According to ]. Is. Gordon. sanitary
! engineer of the District. there re-
| mains about two miles of construc-
| ton work to take the Rock creek
| interceptor sewer as far as the Dis
! trict line. There is approximately
| the same amount of work to be done
| by Maryland to bring its interceptor
1 down to the District line.
! The District government has OBJ
I tanned no money from Congress
! since 1917. it was said at the District
building today, to continue work On
| the Rock Creek interceptor. 1t is
| now estimated that il will cost in
| the neighborhood of 100000 to com
! plete the Districts part of the inter
/ ceptor. There is no allotment for
this purpose in the new appropriation
| bill. which means that no progress
| can be made before July, 1928, and
then only if money is made avail
able in the appropriation act for
! the fiscal year, 1S2S-192i.
J Bond Issue Authority.
| Officials of the Washington sub
urban sanitary commission, which
provides water and sewer facilities
| for the Maryland communities just
outside the District. say they have
| authority to issue bonds al any time
to construct their part of the inter-
| ceptor which is to take sewage out
! of Rock creek. They point out. how
| ever. that there is nothing to be
| gained by tying up money in this
project and bringing their trunk
| main down to the District line until
| the District interceptor is built out
| to that point TO make the connec-
, tion.
An engineer of the sanitary com
mission said today he is confident the
! Maryland part of the Rock creek in
trict line in time to connect up with
1.-THE Washington interceptor when il
reaches the boundary.
The sanitary commission, it was
| said today. is now at work on. a
stretch of sewer that will come down
| to the point where Connecticut ave
nue. crosses Rock creek beyond Chevy
Chase lake.
| According to Mr.. Gordon. District
| sewage only gets into Rock Creek
now during heavy storms and comes
| from overflow outlets on sewers that
! in normal weather do not empty into
| the creek. /,
| The Anacostia main interceptor,
which eventually is to meet the Mary
land sewers of the northeast towns,
| also is about two miles from COM
! pletion to the District line. Like
| the Rock creek interceptor. this prof.
| ect has received no appropriations
since 1917 and will cost approximately
| $25O,000 to complete.
hIIcTRIh,e cREnITnRS MAY