Evening star., 1925-09-13
BEACH POLLUTION
HELD PREVENTABLE
BY USING CHLORINE
Makes Water Fit for Bathing,
Health Men Declare, Back
ing Sheriff..
HAS PROVED EFFICACIOUS
AT RESORTS ELSEWHERE
Few Complaints About Old Tidal
Basin, Where Method Was
Tried Successfully.

Public Health Service officials agree
with Lieut.. Col. Clarence o. Sheriff.,
director of public buildings and pub
lie parks, that the Potomac and Ana
costa Rivers can be made sanitary
for bathers in a properly protected
area by means Of chlorination. This
is regarded as removing probably the
strongest objection to the construc-
ton of bathing beaches on the rivers
shores.
Only the judicious use Of chlorine
made the waters Of the Tidal Basin
safe for bathers from q sanitary stand
point. Exactly the same system is
proposed for the beaches planned
along the Potomac and the Anacostia,
and approval Of the Public Health
Service upholds Col. Sheriff..
Chlorine Proved Efficacious.
diluted solution of chlorine is re-
quired to kill the bacteria and bacili
found in dangerous numbers in the
Potomac water by the Public Health
survey. Most large cities that de-
pend upon rivers for bathing facilities
use chlorine successfully, it was point
ed out, and some have waters that
are far more polluted than either the
Col. Sheriff. pointed out recently
that an average Of 10000 persons
enjoyed a dip in the Tidal Basin every
season. He declared that out of this
tremendous number he never had
more than four or five complaints
from persons who thought they had
been made i'll by the water. This,
sanitary experts said, argued well for
the system Of chlorinating polluted
water.
Used In Detroit.
Detroit was recently faced by
problem similar to that now before
Washington. Much of that city's sew
age is deposited in the Detroit River.
So serious was the resultant pollu-
tion that the city health department
was obliged to warn bathers at the
municipal beach, located on Belle
Isle in the same river, that they
would actually take their lives In
! their hands if they swan in the
river.
When the demand for safe bath
ing beach reached proportions that
could not be ignored, the health au-
thorities sunk tanks Of chlorine in the
water around the beach in such posi-
tions that the chemical would be
swept. through the bathing waters by
the current. In a few days it was
possible to reopen the beach with as
surance of reasonable safety.
At the present time there is a grow
ing demand in Detroit for a sewage
disposal plant, where all sewage would
be purified before flowing off into the
river. There is no disposition to meet
this demand yet, despite the fact that
Detroit's population now exceeds a
million. Chlorine has reduced the col
or bacilli count in the water from 800
a cubic centimeter to 10.4, which is
considered safe for the present.
Disposal Plant Not Needed.
In the opinion of prominent sani-
tary engineers, Washington will never
need a sewage disposal plant as
means of protecting itself. There is a
growing need for such a plant at the
main sewer outlet, however, for the
protection of the oyster and fish indus
tries further down the Potomac. But
the establishment of a disposal plant
would in no wise lessen the pollution
of that part of the river that flows
past Washington.
The present sewer system of Wash
fngton is capable of caring for the
citys needs, even should the popula-
ton here pass the million mark. as
has been predicted. In order to re-
arrange that system so that it would
drain all sanitary sewage through a
disposal plant would mean complete
reconstruction, at an initial expense
| of at least $23 900, 900 and an ultimate
expense of perhaps $50, 1000, 900.
The present system is so arranged
| that both storm water and sanitary
sewage drain off through the same
| pipes. During periods of normal
| weather, however, most of the sani-
| tary sewage flows into intercepting
sewers before it drops into the Po-
| tomac. the Anacostia or Rock Creek.
| These interceptors carry ii off to the
| main outlet, down below Blue Plains,
so far from Washington that no tide
can carry any of it back, even as far
as Hams Point.
Closed During Storms.
During storms however, these in
terceptors are not large enough to
take care of the flow. They are auto
matically closed by the pressure of
added water. and the sewage, both
sanitary and storm, pours out into
one of the three streams. Sanitary
Engineer Gordon pointed out, how
ever, that the additional rain water
dilutes it considerably before 1t
reaches the already swollen rivers.
It is during rainy spells that the
Potomac receives most of it's pollu-
ton from the District. With an ap-
preparation of less than 81 600
Sanitary Engineer Gordon could COM
plete the intercepting sewer system
around the entire city, so that in nor
NAL weather neither the Potomac,
Anacostia nor Rock Creek would re-
ceive an ounce of pollution from the
District.
The question of stopping pollution
from Maryland and Virginia towns.
| however, would still have to be faced.
The District already has an agree
ment with Maryland towns near
enough to Washington to affect the
water, whereby they will construct
| intercepting sewers as soon as those
| of the District reach the District line.
| In order to free the river completely
during dry weather. it would be neces
sary to make a similar agreement
with Virginia authorities.
| This, engineers hold, will COM
| CONTINUED on Page 5. Column 80