Evening star., 1935-01-20
EXPERTS:TOSTUDY
CREEK POLLUTION
Engineer in Charge of Rock
Creek Project Expects
to Report April |.

Two outstanding sanitary engineers
have been retained by the National
Park Service to assist in the study de-
signed to bring about elimination Of
pollution from Rock Creek. it was
learned yesterday, and John L. Nagle,
engineer in charge Of the work, said
he expects to make definite recon-
mendations about April !.
The engineers who will aid in solv-
ing the problem are Leroy K. Sher-
man of Chicago and Wesley w. Hor-
ner of ST. Louis. These men have
long been members of the Advisory
Board Of the Public Works Admin
istration. aiding in uiirayeling sani-
tary problems and giving their ad-
vice on the ALLEGATION of funds for
sewage projects oyer the Nation. The
Rock Greek pollution study Is made
possible at this time by 5000 p.
w. A. allotment. Mr. Nagle and his
associates will draw up a report on
the best way to eliminate the pollu-
ton and estimate the cost of the
work.
Technical Group Completed.
Mr.. Nagle disclosed that the tech
nical organization within the Ma
tional Park Service that will study
the Rock Creek pollution problem
has been practically completed. In
the next two months, intensive study
of the situation and possible remedies
will be undertaken. The engineers
consider it incongruous that the Dis
trict government should be erecting
a sewage disposal plant to reduce pol
luton in the Potomac River and at
the same time permit sewage from
Maryland and the District, now thrown
into Rock Creek, to pollute the river,
downstream of K street.
In the past, in addition to Mary
land communities, some of the prime
polluters of Rock Creek have been
the Bureau of Standards. Walter
Reed Hospital and the Welfare and
Recreational Association of Public
Buildings and Grounds, Inc, which
used to operate the Pierce Mill Tea
House in Rock Greek, officials re-
called. This has now been discon-
tinued as a tea house, irIasmuch as
officials of the National Capital Parks
are restoring the old mill.
Two Phases of Problem.
The pollution of Rock Greek, said
Mr.. Nagle, resolves itself into two
phases. One, a major engineer
ing problem, is in the proper disposal
of sewage from Piney Branch and all
the sewers downstream from that
point, he explained.
when this condition Is rectified,
this will make Rock Creek below
Piney Branch relatively as clean as
the waters above Piney Branch" de-
clared Mr.. Nagle.
That part of Rock Greek lying
above Piney Branch and overlapping
into Maryland affords no cut-and-
dried solution, asserted Mr.. Nagle, but
is problem involving cooperation
with the Maryland authorities and
coordination of various Jurisdictions.
This is the second phase Of the prob
lem, he said.
Disregarding the park aspect of
the situation, Mr.. Nagle pointed out,
elimination of pollution in Rock Creek
from Piney Branch and downstream
is needed as municipal improvement.
"The ultimate desideratum is to
make the waters of Rock Greek pure
enough to flow through a Government
park and at least fit for children to
wade in," declared Mr.. Nagle. Pos
sibly the creek may be made available
for swimming by children, but we
cannot be sure of that yet"