Evening star., 1925-07-19
EXTENSIVE TESTS
OF RIVER STARTED
Effort to Determine Extent
of Pollution Begun by
u. S. Scientists.

n
rivers through the sewage outlets and
make it dangerous for the bathers,
and the number and volume of their
legionS are being ferreted out by Sani-
tary engineers working in the field
and by bacteriologists analyzing in the
laboratories. This investigation of
the pollution Of the two rivers, which
is being conducted by the United
States Public Health Service, in con-
junction and in cooperation with the
District of Columbia Government
was started on July q and it is ex-
pected the report of the results will
be ready for Congress when it con-
VeneS in the Fall.
When the field work is completed
and the data of various governmental
agencies examined, the experts will
be able to show just where the sew
age is coming from. means to be
taken to correct it, and whether or
not it is practicable to locate a
bacilli-free bathing beach on any of
the waters surrounding the National
Capital
Cummings Takes Charge.
Surg. Gen. H. S. Cummings of the
United States Public Health Service
is taking a personal interest in this
investigation. He conducted an in
Vestigation in the Potomac River
some years ago to determine what
effect, if any. the sewage from Wash
ington had on the oyster beds of the
lower Potomac. Assistant Surg. Gen.
w. +. Draper is in direct charge of
the investigation, and to consult on
the matter and perform some of the
details there was called to Washing
ton Associate Sanitary Engineer A.
F.. Allen, Surg. w. H. Frost, in
charge of the investigation of stream
pollution at Baltimore, and Sanitary
Engineer j. K. Hoskins, in charge of
the bureaus pollution laboratory in
Cincinnati, Ohio.
All of these officials held a consul
tation, during which they examined
maps of the Potomac and Anacostia
and maps showing the sewage and
vicinity. Afterward, headed by Surg.
Gen. Cumming, they went into the
field and examined various sewer
outlets.
There are many phases of the in
vestigation. Every stream in the
vicinity which flows into the Potomac
and Anacostia must be tested, and
this includes the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal, which carries some industrial
waste. Industrial plants along the
river must be inspected with a view
TO ascertaining what they do with
their waste and what kind it is. Hun
dredS of pages of data covering a
period of years and collected by the
United States Army Engineers, the
Geological Survey, the Geodetic Sur
vey and the filtration plant must be
examined in order to obtain informa-
tion on stream flow, tidal data, bac-
THEOLOGICAL tests of past years, etc.
The upstream flow of the Potomac and
AnacoStia Rivers must be tested. This
is the determination of the back flow
of the waters during the flood tides
to determine what amount of sewage,
if any, comes back up the river from
the large city sewer outlet about
miles below Giesboro Point, more
popularly referred to now as the steel
plant
Drownings Halt Work.
The field investigation which now
is being conducted by Mr.. Allen is
made in accordance with a plan sub
mitted by Mr.. Hoskins and divided
into three divisions, namely, bacteri
illogical, hydrometric and sanitary
survey. Mr.. Allen already has taken
number of samples of water at va
riOus places on the river. He has
been using one of the police launches
and takes the samples about o'clock
in the morning. However. it was nee
essary to defer some of this work on
account of the number of drownings
in the river as the police boat was
needed in this work.
Most of the preliminary field work
done by Mr.. Allen consisted in max
ing a study of the maps of sewage
systems in the vicinity and their out
let's, a study of the industrial plants,
numbers of people in various sections
drained by each sewer line and study
of data in the various Government
bureaus, including the meteorological
data at the filtration plant. From the
latter it is expected to determine the
amount and kind of bacteria coming
into the local water system before the
filtration stage and comparing it with
data from samples collected in this
vicinity to determine the increase in
pollution between this city and Great
Falls, where the water is taken into
the system. Also an examination of
this data will show if there is any
increase in the pollution of the stream
during a period of years.
Will Make Many Tests.
Mr.. Hoskins was of the opinion that
II would not be necessary to make eX-
1enSiVe meteorological tests during the
present survey, but they should be
made at the low-water stages in the
river Samples will be collected by
Mr.. Allen over a period of 10 days or
two weeks from five different points
in the Potomac in this vicinity.
Several samples of the water OF
Rock Greek near its upper end will
be taken during the same period and
an equal number will be taken from
the same waterway near it's mouth,
but at a point before it joins with the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. Then
there will be two or three series of
samples taken at numerous points on
a cross section of the channel at the
railroad bridge near the Tidal Basin
and Key Bridge. This will show any
variation of pollution between the
shores and midstream. Another Sc
ries of samples will be taken along
both shore lines of the Potomac River
from the District line to Potomac
Park. Another series OF water sam
pies will be taken along the AnacoS-
tia River from its junction with the
Potomac to the District line. Several
more samples will be taken from the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal near the
Key Bridge, but above the take off
for water power purposes.
Seek Data on Tides.
Several intensive samples will be
taken at low and high tide in the sec
tion of the river channel between the
main sewage outlet below GieSboro
TO the Key Bridge to determine the