Evening star., 1935-01-22
May Decide on Type Con.
Sidered Best for Dis
trict Project.
SEDIMENTATl0N PLANT
FAVORED BY SULTAN
Former Attorney General Palmer
Urges Chemical Process Be
Installed in Capital.
A recommendation as to the type Of

A recommendation as to the type Of
sewage disposal plant the District
should build may be made to the
Commissioners today by the special
Senate subcommittee studying the
subject.
Presided over by Chairman King,
the subcommittee yesterday afternoon
heard representatives of commercial
concerns urge a chemical treatment
system. Various local civic organiza-
tions also presented their views.
With an allotment of $4,000 900
from the Public Works Administration.
Engineer Commissioner Sultan favors
confining the project at this time to
a Sedimentation treatment. which
would remove so per cent Of the solids
from the sewage. at an annual oper-
ating cost of $4,000.
Arguing for the chemical treatment,
former Attorney General A. Mitchell
Palmer contended it is the most mod
ern method and denied it is still in
experimental stage He said a plant
of this type has been in operation
for several years at Dearborn, Mich.
Palmer said he represented the Filtra-
ton Equipment Co. of New York, but
wanted to discuss generally the chem
ical method of treatment.
Cost Nearly Double.
Col Sultan told the subcommittee
the initial cost of plain Sedimenta-
ton plant. as he proposed, or a plan
TO Io oh =
ment, would be approximately the
same, but that to obtain the 80 or 95
per cent treatment the annual op-
Grating cost Of the chemical treat
ment would be about S460000 a year,
as compared with S2l800O year for
sedimentation only
Senator King said the question ap-
peared to be whether the District
should provide for a so per cent
treatment of the sewage, or spend
about S240,000 more a year and get
a 90 per cent treatment Of sewage.
1t is Col Sultans position that
Washington does not need full treat
ment of its sewage at this time, and
that by limiting the project to Sedi-
mentation treatment now the District
government. in to 10 years, can add
whatever further process is found
most desirable at that time. The
plant units to be built for the sedi-
mentation treatment. including the
power house, he says, would be needed
in any event.
River Pollution Cited.
T. S. Settle, representing the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission. pointed out that no mat
ter what treatment plant is built in
the vicinity of Blue Plains, at the
lower end Of the District, 1t will not
purify the river opposite the city.
until further plans are carried out
to remove pollution from Rock Creek
and the Anacostia River. Studies are
under way of these related problems.
Thomas J. Llewellyn and Miss
Elaine Eppley spoke for the Fedora
ton of Citizens Associations They
advocated a clean Potomac. but also
pointed out that the problem of
purifying Rock Greek and AnacoStia
remains to be solved. Llewellyn said
this should be borne in mind in de-
ternining the percentage of treatment
to be applied to the sewage at Blue
Plains.
Dr. Charles B. Campbell of the
District Medical Society made strong
plea for ourification of the Potomac
from a health standpoint.
Fleming Sends Letter.
The position of the Board of Trade
was outlined to the committee in a
letter from its president, Robert v.
Fleming. who stated that, while the
board of directors has discussed the
problem, the organization is not ad-
vocating any disposal plant. Con-
tinuing, the letter stated:
If, however, in the judgment Of
the Government officials, such a
plant is necessary and desirable, then
the Board of Trade desires that such
plant be erected at a minimum
cost that will be adequate.
With respect to the type of plant,
the Board of Trade has taken no
position, feeling that the problem is
one of such highly technical char
acter that it can be better solved by
the qualifications and experience of
the Engineer Commissioner"
Edward Savage, representing the
Guggenheim process of chemical
treatment, told the committee that
if a 80 per cent treatment is de-
cided on, his concern also wants to
be considered.