Evening star., 1925-05-03
MILLION REQUIRED
F. TO DIVERT SEWAGE
Three Interceptor Systems
to Protect Potomac and
Aid Maryland.

A total Appropriation OF Sl,olo,oVV
is needed to complete the three big in
terceptor sewers which have peen
under construction for a number or
wears to catch the raw sewage which
now empties into the Potomac River,
according TO an estimate made last
night by j. 3. Gordon, District sani-
tary engineer.
MIR. Gordon. who supervises the
sewer system of the District, pledged
his cooperation in carrying out the
survey about to be started by the
United States Public Health Service,
In conjunction with the District
Health Department, to determine the
present condition of the waters or
the Potomac with respect to the pos
sible establishment of bathing beaches
in the river itself.
The proposes survey is OF timely IN
terest to the people of the District,
since Congress recently took a stand
against the continuance of bathing
beaches in the Tidal Basin.
At Seven Points.
Mr.. Gordon said the completion OF
the Rock Creek, the Upper Potomac
and the Upper AnaCostia interceptor
sewers would free the Potomac or the
crude sewage which now flows into the
river at seven points.
Even after the completion of the
big interceptors a small amount OF
sewage, mixed with large quantities
of storm water, would still get into
the river through the storm water
sewers during periods Of rain, Mr..
Gordon explained.
To what extent this situation would
interfere with bathing probably will
receive consideration during the sur
vey, which is expected to last several
months.
The sanitary engineer explained
that the reason some sewage gets into
the river with the storm water flow
during rains is that Washington has
what is known as a combined sewer
system.
There are, according to Mr.. Gordon,
about 100 outlet points along the
Potomac River, the Anacostia River,
the Washington channel and the
lower part of Rock Creek for storm
water, and some sewage mixes with
this storm water in time of rain.
Deemed Proper Sytem.
Mr.. Gordon said no project has
ever been contemplated for the in
Perception of these 100 storm water
outlets. When the sewer system OF
the District was designed, Mr.. Gordon
said, the combined system was deemed
proper one.
In normal weather, he pointed out,
no raw sewage goes into the river
from these 100 storm outlets, but 1t is
carried off through small mains to the
pumping station at the foot OF New
Jersey avenue, and thence piped TO
a point three miles below Washing
ton Barracks.
The small mains are connected
with larger storm water sewers, how
ever, and in time of rain the flow
rises and extends into these larger
sewers leading to the river 'front.'
carrying with it a percentage of the
sewage that would normally go to
the pumping station.
Mr.. Gordon pointed out that when
this operation is occurring in the
storm water sewers leading to the
river, the river itself is swollen by the
rain, tending to reduce further the
amount of pollution.
The sanitary engineer emphatiZed
the fact, however, that there are only
seven points at which raw sewerage
flows into the river all the time, and
they are the places that will be in
tercepted and abolished by the three
projects now under way.
Large Amount Spent.
A large sum of money already has
been expended over period of years
in beginning the three interceptors,
but it will take several years longer
even with liberal allotments, to COM
plete them.
Mr.. Gordon's detailed program of
the funds still required to intercept
the raw sewage now flowing into the
Potomac is as follows: To complete
the Upper Potomac interceptor, S4o5.-
900 needed; to complete the Upper
Anacostia interceptor, $49s0 900; to in
tercept sewage flowing in from Sligo
and Woodside, Md. s46.000, and to
intercept sewage from Capitol Heights,
Maryland Park and Seat Pleasant,
Md, $66 900.
When these interceptorS are COM
pleted to the District line it will be
necessary under plans that are al
ready being worked out, to have
Maryland connect its nearby sewers
with the local interceptors.
The completion of the projects men
toned will free the Potomac and Ana
costa Rivers Of all raw sewage, and
there will then remain only the diluted
sewage which gets in with the storm
water during rainy weather.
Rock Creek Provision.
The District has the necessary
amount to finish the Rock Creek in
t6rceDIOT, 10 Tree 1tOCh SEeeh OI poi
luton, during the next fiscal year.
Mr.. Gordon said the District
already has acquired land near Blue
Plains on which to erect, at some
future date, a sewage disposal plant,
which would chemically treat the raw
sewage before it is emptied into the
river at the present outlet three
miles down from Washington.
This project, however, Mr.. Cor
don said, would have no relation to
the possibilities of bathing along the
local river front, since the raw
sewage is already taken by pipe to
this point three miles away. The
purpose of this disposal plant would
be to purify the sewage before it
goes into the river, three miles be-
low Washington.