Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-27
Additional Relief Basins to
Be Installed to Remedy
Conditions.
CITIZENS ASSOCIATIONS
TO APPEAL TO CONGRESS
Will Urge Increase in Funds for
Northeast-$9, 100000
Declared Needed.

Engineers Of the District sewer de-
partment began an extensive. survey to-
day of the vast storm water sewer
system with view to correcting the
conditions responsible for the floods In
various sections that followed the tor
! rental doWnpour Saturday night.
AT the same time an enlarged force
OF sewer department workmen was
cleaning out the Piney Branch trunk
sewer. which became clogged with dirt,
sand and gravel, washed into it from
the drains east of Fifth street, and
caused the flood in the territory around
Fifth and Seventh and Hamilton and
| Ingraham streets
Study Cause of Failure.
| One hundred and sixty-four automatic
| gauges were placed In the trunk sewers
| IN the areas where flooded conditions
were reported, to determine whether the
! failure OF the sewers to carry off the
water was cue TO the lack OF a sufficient
number Of catch basins, or whether the
sewers themselves are inadequate. In
| either case, it was announced at the
sewer departments, steps will be taken
to remedy the conditions by the irlstalla-
| tion of additional catch basins or relief
! sewers, such as was done recently at
| Seventeenth and l. streets and Thir-
teenth and Holmead streets, two locah-
| ties that previously were flooded after
each heavy rainfall.
| Particular attention will be given to
the need of additional sewers to take
care of an admittedly bad situation IN
| the Northeast boundary section. Imme-
| diate steps are to be taken, however, to
! remedy the condition at the low point
on CONNECTICUT avenue. just south OF
! Albemarle street, where surface water,
/ rushing down from an undeveloped area
! above. washed out the sidewalk on the
/ east side and buried the car tracks un-
| der water. Five additional catch basins
| are to be installed at this point and i'm
| mediately above 1t to intercept this sur
/ face drainage.
Little Immediate Relief.
| Indications are that little immediate
/ relief can be given to the area IN the
vicinity of Seventh and Hamilton streets
which probably suffered more than any
other section as . result of Saturday
nights heavy rain. A B. Black, acting
| sanitary engineer, pointed out that the
OF the catch basins by dirt, sand and
| gravel washed down from the large
undeveloped area northeast of that
point.
The territory northeast of Seventh
and Hamilton streets was recently filled
| in and graded and denuded of ali vege-
tation. and is therefor subject to heavy
washings of sand and gravel" said Mr..
Black. During heavy storm this is
conVerged to the low point at Seventh
ana Hamilton streets where q partial
Stoppage OF the catch basins in that
locality results AS soon as this section
Is developed and lateral branches of
the main artery are extended into II
70 eaten the water at higher elevations.
the condition will be remedied. am
conndent that the nine-inch trunk
sewer which serves that territory is fully
capable of taking care of the storm
water regardless of the amount of rain
lau. OI course the thing to do is to
extend the lateral branches into tha,
undeVeioped territory as soon as pos
siole. put lt IS difficult TO get appropria-
undeveloped sections.
Where storms demonstrates tbs ,,aas
IL mas been the policy of the sewer
| department. to install additional catch
| oaSlnS 10 remedy the condition II
| gauges on the trunk line show that
the sewer has been overcharued il has
been the policy to request funds for
the construction of relief sewers This
poiey Will be adhered to at this time T"
Holds System Adequate.
Maj. Donald A. Dawson. acting E,-
gineer Commissioner, expressed the he.
lief that floods were not caused hv the
lack OF storm water sewer facilities
The system is entirely ADEQUATE for
Wnat experience has shown the city OF
washington may expect in the wav
OF RAINFALL" he said THE fact that
ieSs than 10 points suffered from foods
from the lack of sewers is not proof
snat we have an inadequate system
lis general, 1t would require millions
ot uoiHsrS 10 install system that would
Sy SSuuqua,eiy care FOR the largest possible
not been installed. neither Is IL con.
'eiiplated IN any municipality.
-. Inc sanitary engineers Office has
tne situation well in hand and every
oIlS OF the complaints that came In Il
VIII De Immediately corrected. There
are points III connection with the snr~
Iace drainage, however. that viii con-
tlhue TO be inadequate to carry or
l4-llch rainfall, but l do not con-
-, 80 "Ns'N PuAltS III our sewer
sysesm, iIhS system was built 10 care
tor slight excess in the normal rain
fall In this area" N''''
MAJ. Davidson pointed out that IN,
eaeIneerhg department has planned a
NUMBER OF projects this wear far av
tending the sanitary system ana IN
conanined system sewers which vii,
Saty OH storm waters. but in mos
Instances t, THESE extensions viii De in
WIG outlying newly developed areas and
he not designed To correct any OF the
so-eailed weak spots in the Storm-watpr
system "S'S'
Citizens Groups May Act.
The record rairA of this nYonth a,a
resulting Hoods :, many parts ~ ths
city are expected tO lead Ia irsis,s.tt
ueliianas Iroin cIticens in sections sub
lect 70 repeated foundations that Con-
sIsSs prSS'lae additional funds for more
adequate sewer facilities.
Setetal cltizefS associations are plan-
nlhg 10 take up the matter when Fall
nlctsIigS g are resumed, Residents OF the
SSSuoh SS,s. around Firth and Ingraham and
ruth ana Hamilton streets which has
peeh ,s nooaeo q number OF times. are IN
uignaht over the failure ia provide ade-
city. N'N
Residents of the Fifth and Ingraham
streets area suffered hundreds Of dol
lats damage when the water rose 10 a
depth OF feet in Fifth street, flooding
Easements and depositing tons of mud
sand and debris in back yards shrub
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