The Washington times., 1929-12-07

The washington Suburban SAM
tary Commission is the governing
body for the Washington Suburban
Sanitary District, which was In
corporated by the 1918 January
session Of the Maryland legisla-
eNe, and is = municipal corpora
ISion created to provide water and
eewer facilities within the dis
trict.
The sanitary district covers an
area Of approximately 81 square
: miles bordering the District OF
Columbia in Montgomery and
Prince Georges counties, and in
the last named county extends in
q wide swathe along the District
OF Columbia from the Marlboro
Pike to the Montgomery county
line at Takoma Park.
Much Progress Shown
When the sanitary commission
was incorporated there were only
two incorporated towns within
the limits Of the district in Prince
Georges county having water and
sewer facilities; namely, Hyatts-
vile, In which water and sewer
systems had been installed for
some years; and Mt. Rainier,
which had just installed its sys-
TENS. In addition there were
several small systems installed by
real estate developers in unin-
Gorporated communities. All OF
these systems were inadequate,
and there were several thickly-
settled and fastgrowing communi-
, ties. without any water supply
except private wells, and no
method for the disposal OF It's
sewerage and waste. This was
particularly true of the territory
around Brentwood, Seat pleasant
and Capital Heights.
Many of these communities,
while densly populated were small
IN area, not incorporated, and Tor
many practical reasons could not
be incorporated, and, therefore,
would have had no means OF Sc
curing an adequate water supply.
or any means Of diSposing OF
its sewage, both Of which are so
essential to the health and groWtn
of thickly settled communities.
Incorporated In 1918
While the Sanitary Commission
was incorporated in 1918, the
first two years of its existence was
hpent in engineering and other in
veStigationS, SO that it did not
! begin active practical operation
until 1920 when the water and
. sewer systems of Hyattsville were
acquired by purchase and plans
Immediately started for the I'M
provement of these systems. The
growth of the town had the wells
on which the town had depended
for its supply entirely inadequate
the high levels of the town fire.
uuently being without water, as
will be well remembered by the
older residents.
Looking to the continued growth
Of this community and the ex-
pansion into other territories
needing adequate facilities for the
protection of health, a modern
filter plant Of capacity OF l.
100000 gallons Of water daily was
constructed on Columbia Avenue
in HyattSville, and the water was
brought to it by a long supply
line from Northwest Branch.
The municipal systems In Mt.
Rainier have been acquired, the
several small privately owned
systems have been acquired or
duplicated and new systems con-
.structed in University Park. Col
Fege Park, Riverdale Park, Bladens-
burg, Brentwood. Cottage City,
Colrnar Manor, Seat Pleasant and
Capitol Heights and have been re.
Gently completed in Berwyn. all
Of which water systems are inter
connected and supplied from the
one source.
Demanded By Residents
All Of these systems have been
installed at the urgent demand
of the residents, which speaks
well for their determined effort