Evening star., 1933-10-27
Arlington Votes November Fl
on Bond Issue for Mod
ern System.
ENGINEERS TO PRESENT
REPORT ON D. c. PLANT
Public Works Administration Has
Given County $2,500,000 and
District $40, 900 for Work.

Important decisions will be made in
of Columbia and Arlington County. Va,
concerning plans for major sewer sys-
TEN improvements upon which will
hinge the long-sought publication Of
the Potomac River
The voters of Arlington County will
go to the polls November 81 to deter
mine whether that community shall
float a bond issue to make possible a
modern sewer system, including two
disposal plants cosing Sl25,000.
A special board of sanitary engi-
neers. employed some weeks ago by the
District government to make a tech
nical study Of a proposed sewage dis
posal plant for Washington. has made
Considerable progress and is expected to
airy l.
Should Arlington voters approve the
bond issue to cover two-year program
for sewer system development, the
county will take the lead in the pro-
gram to shut off pollution Of the river.
S2,500,O00 Authorized.
The Public Works Administration has
played a vital part in the programs
of both jurisdictions. 1t authorized a
grant of s2,50O000 for sewer system
Developments in Arlington County, 70
per cent of which would be repaid out
Of the proposed bond issue.
For the District the Public Works Ad-
ministration granted sum of $4,000
for technical study of disposal plant,
the cost of which previously had been
estimated TO run as high as $4,000, 600.
After the special board has drafted an
outline of the type of plant deemed
most suitable officials will renew con-
sideration Of financing the work. The
District Commissioners have requested
financing from the Public Works Ad-
miniStratlon.
The programs in Arlington County
and the District are closely related.
since they are designed to halt the
dumping of sewage into the waters OF
the Potomac now practiced by both.
For this reason sanitary officers Of both
places have conferred on their programs
jointly with the consulting engineers OF
the District Disposal Plant Board.
It was revealed today they studied
possibilities Of a joint disposal plant,
either in Virginia or the District, but
] this was dropped since it would have
boosted the costs. The District and
Arlington would build separate plants,
| under proposed plans. but they would
| represent a co-ordinated attack on a
mutual problem.
Two Plants Called For.
The Virginia plans cali for develop
ment of disposal plant near RoSslyn
| and a second near Four Mile Run. They
| would be primary disposal plants rath-
er than the more costly types for COM
plete disposal Of sewage. They would
| serve the proposed countrywide sewer
| system and the existing separate sys-
| TENS now connecting with small streams
| tributary to the Potomac.
1t is expected the special District
board will recommend a disposal plant
| Of at least equal efficiency. A site near
Blue Plains now is available.
/ Such types of disposal plants. off,
| cials state would make the river safe
| for bathing and permit natural abun-
| dance of fish life in the Potomac in this
area.
Members of the special District sewer
| board of consulting engineers are Har-
rison P. Eddy OF Boston. John H. Gag
ory Of Baltimore and Samuel A. Greeeey
of Chicago.
| They have consulted recently with
John Blake Gordon, District sanitary
engineer. and A. B. Mcdaniel, sanitary
engineer for Arlington County. They
considered joint plant for the District
and the county, to be erected below
Alexandria. That was dropped since 1t
called for laying of an expensive sewer
across the river extension Of the county
sewer line several miles downstream
and increased pumping costs.
Joint Plant Studied.
The group also studied joint plant
on the District side of the river. but
that called for Arlington to extend its
sewer across the river and would have
greatly increased pumping costs.
The two disposal plants finally pro-
posed for the Arlington project would
not require pumping systems, 1t is ex.
planned. since the sewer system could
| depend on gravity.
| Arlington engineers state that the
| system will be sufficient to care for a
population of 100000. The present
population Is $4,000.