Evening star., 1925-09-05
The Pollution of the Potomac,

At no place within the District of
Columbia can the Potomac River be
considered safe for bathing. Thus re-
ports the Public Health Service after
a thorough survey of the Potomac
water, undertaken to ascertain the
feasibility and safety of establishing
public bathing pools or beaches along
the Capitals water front. This in
quiry was rendered necessary. as a
guidance to future action by Congress
in the provision Of public bathing
facilities, by the closing of the already
established bathing beach in the Tidal
Basin and the stoppage of work on a
second beach there.
1t is plainly evident from this re-
port, which follows an exhaustive and
scientific survey of the local waters,
that the open, untreated Potomac
waters cannot be used for public bath
ing without grave risk to health Sew
age pours into the river both above
and below the Great Falls dam. The
water impounded at the falls for the
is thus rendered safely potable. The
present report does not cast doubt
upon the purity of the water supplied
daily to the people of the city for
drinking or for bathing within the
homes. No alarm should he felt on
that score in consequence of the find
tngs of the Public Health Service.
But on the score of public bathing
there is reason for discoura cement
and much concern in the terms and
conclusions of the report. Proposals
for the use of the waters of the Poto-
mae and the Anacostia Rivers for this
purpose become impracticable. An
open beach, fed from the stream with
out any treatment, becomes obviously
unsuitable. an invitation to disease
The question arises whether pools,
large or small. can be established in
which the waters taken from the
river can be so treated as to permit
safe bathing. That is a question of
engineering and finance. Such pools
can be built and maintained if the
money for them is provided.
But back of this public bathing
question is a broader one, that of the
pollution of the river by the following
of antiquated, unwholesome methods
of sewage disposal in the watershed
and in the District itself. The Public
Health Service finds that the river is
polluted from Maryland and Virginia
sources above Great Falls. and from
these sources and from the District
below the falls. The river, in short
has been made a common sewer for
the two States and the District.
This condition is shocking. 1t has
been known, of course, always, and
from time to time moves have been
made toward its cure, but it prevails.
And now comes the result in an Off
cial scientific finding that in conse-
quence of the unchecked pouring of
filth into the Potomac the waters of
this river are unfit for use for ablu-
tion without being filtered or chemical
ly treated.
Here is a city the shores Of which
are laved by streams that are unsafe
for public bathing, whereas it Should
have free and abundant bathing facili-
ties with perfect security and sani-
tary safety. Yet without filtration or
chemical treatment the waters of
these streams are d menace to the
health of all who enter them. 1t is
impossible chemically to treat the en-
tire body of water The cure for this
condition lies in the prevention Of
pollution. Whatever Congress may
do toward the establishment Of pub
lie bathing pools for the people Of
Washington-and it should do some
thing in view Of the numerous drown
ings that have occurred this Summer
following the closing of the bathing
beach-it should move toward the
preservation of the Potomac from it's
present poisonous state.