The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-04-10
NOW USED
To FILL IN
SWAMP
Result of Investigation to Be
Known Soon-May Mean
Big Saving to City.
By GEORGE FRANKLIN.


With 500 miles of sewer mains
and approximately $4,000, 900 in
vested in the city's sewerage sys-
TEN, Washington is seeking to
solve the problem of salvaging q
part at least of the wealth that
is being drained into the Potomac
river or used to reclaim lowlands
along the rivers banks.
U. 8. Engineers At Work.
United States engineers are ex-
aiming the composite sludge
Rathered in enormous quantities In
the sediment basin at the sewer
pumping plant. located at the loot
of New Jersey avenue and the East
Branch of the Potomac river. Here
tofore il has been declared too rich
in dirt to be used as fertilizer
base. This objection, it is declared,
NAV be overcome, with the result
that from twenty-five to thirty car.
loads of valuable fertilizer base will
be marketed by the District each
month.
Efforts being made by the United
States engineers office to deter
mine an economic way of com.
mercializing the valuable 'sludge"
deposit came to light today while
an inquiry was under way to ascer-
tain the value OF lost, or stolen.
property recovered from the city's
sewers. 1t will be several weeks,
It was learned, before the results
will be known.
Rich in fertilizer qualities, the
"sludge," which in the past has
been used to fill in the river bank
adjacent to Bowling Field, has been
gathered by gardeners and florists
who have used it in growing to-
mato vines and rose bushes. The
latter, a feature of Bowling Field,
owe their beauty, it is said, to the
fertilizing quality OF the "sludge"
taken from the deposits along the
river bank and mixed with the
garden earth.
Another instance Of the high fer
tilizing value of the deposit was
seen last summer when the Sedi-
nnent basin was cleaned out With
in twelve hours a growth OF water.
melon vines completely covered the
bottom of the basin. The seeds it
f. said, were carried through the
sewers and deposited in the basin.
A thin deposit of ssludge" remain
ed on the bottom. Struck by the
air termination commenced at Once.
Two Drawbacks To Plan.
At different times fertilizer in.
terests have visited the pumping
plant and examined the deposit
Invariably the first reports were
encouraging. Later, however, the
prospective consumers lost interest.
This is attributed by those in a
position to know to two causes.
An excess quantity of dirt was
discovered in the deposit which re-
duced it's value as a fertilizer base.
This objection United States en-
gineers are studying to overcome.
Then there was the activity of
the guano interests. which, it is
understood, strive to strange any
likely to become an active COM
petitor of the South Atlantic
islands product. They point to the
few instances where sewerage de.
posits are utilized by American
cities in the manufacture of
fertilizer as evidence Of the In
f1uence.
With the system of sewerage in
use in Washington all waste matter
drains into the main sewers, in
GLIDING house sewerage and the
washing from the streets. In
London, and in several European
cities. the value of the sewerage
has been recognized with the re.
suit that the system is divided into
two distinct sets Of connections.
BY this method It is possible to
prevent the street washings from
neutralizing the high fertiliZing
value of the domestic sewerage.
Must Reconstruct System.
Eventually. it is pointed out by
sanitary engineers. Washington
WI have to reconstruct its sewer
age system to meet the expansions
inevitably. to be made by a growing
city. Some Of the system in use
at present is known to be approx
mately 100 years old. Much of the
older sections of drains are in a
deplorable condition. In some in
stances accumulation two to three
feet deep fill the bottom OF the
main sewers. Owing to a lack Of
funds 1t has been impossible to
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