Evening star., 1941-03-24
SuitIand Action
Needed Quickly
On Wafer Lines
Maryland Assembly
Must Provide for
Extending Mains

| land tMdD site for a group of Fed
| eral Government office buildings
lack of water and sewer lines for
private housing-can be remedied if
residents of that area act promptly,
/ an official of the Washington
Suburban Sanitary Commission said
| today.
If water and sewer lines are to be
extended for private housing there
the property owners will have to
take the initiative by asking the
Maryland General Assembly to put
the area under the sanitary COM
missions Jurisdiction.
The sanitary commission is the
agency which handles water and
sewer arrangements in Montgomery
and Prince Georges Counties. Its
policy is not to extend its jurisdic-
ton except at the request of the
taxpayers. The State Legislature,
which has the power to extend the
commissions territory, adjournS its
biennial session next Monday.
Even if the legislation is passed
during the coming week, however.
there will be no assurance of an
adequate water supply for housing
projects adjacent to the proposed
office buildings until the summer
of 1912. If the legislation is not
passed by week from today, there
Will be no opportunity to obtain the
necessary law until the next session
in 1913. unless, for some reason,
Gov. O'COnOr calls a special session.
Residents Have Opposed Plan.
Should the residents of Suitland
decide to seek such legislation i'm
mediately they will be completely
reversing the stand they have pre-
viously maintained regarding extern
sion of the sanitary commissions
territory-knoWn as the suburban
sanitary district-to their neigh
/ borhood
On at least two previous occasions
the question of putting Suitland in
the district has been discussed, but
each time residents of that terri
tory have opposed it.
While the site of the proposed
Government structures is only about
a mile from the present suburban
water and sewer lines and sanitary
/ commission officials have agreed to
supply one office building. it was
] learned that they are unwilling to
make any agreement to service
private building projects unless the
territory is put in the sanitary dis
trlct. Already at least two private
apartment projects adjacent to the
first Government building are
planned.
Sanitary Commission officials are
said to take the position that it
would be unfair to persons now
living within the sanitary district
to furnish sewer and water to any
private houSeholders outside the
district who would not have to pay
/ the seven-cent ad valorem tax I'M
/ posed in the suburban area.
Capacity Already Taxed.
Furthermore, it was explained, the
water capacity of the present sys-
tenn is taxed during hot weather
The District of Columbia cannot
supply Maryland during the peak
summer season with more water at
points where it is needed. it is said
If a substantial additional load
were put on the present Maryland
facilities because of large housing
facilities at Suitland hot weather
sprinkling restrictions might have
to be ordered in the rest of the
sanitary district, it is said.
In order to provide for popula-
ton growth, at Suitland and else
where, the Sanitary Commission
plans to build dam on the Patuxent
River and a filter plant near Laurel.
This will enable it to triple it's
capacity-from 100000 to 30000,-
900 gallons a day. Legislation au-
thorizing the financing involved is
pending at Annapolis and permission
is being sought from the Maryland
Water Resources Commission to use
the PatuXent. If there is no hitch,
the commission believes the Patux-
ent plant will be ready for use in the
summer of 1912 There would be
ample water for huge housing
projects at Suitland then-if the
area is within the sanitary district.
Main Extensions Necessary.
In order to get water to any major
housing development at Suitland,
two things would have to be done by
the sanitary commission. 1t would
have to make several loops in its
mains so that huge water lines can
be run to the site where heavy in
creaSes in population are expected.
1t also would have to obtain permis-
sion from the Maryland Public Serv-
ice Commission to issue bonds to
finance the sewer and water extern
sions. This has always been obtained
in perfunctory fashion in the past.
The commission is permitted to have
a bonded debt of IA per cent of the
aSSeSSable basis of the suburban SAN
itary district. and now is bonded to
the extent of only about 10 per cent.
officials of the commission ex-
planned that they agreed to service
the first Suitland government build
ing, expected to house about 1000
workers. because that structure will
be finished next fall-and there is
ample water for the sanitary district
under the present system during the
fall, winter and spring. BY next
summer they hope to have the addi-
tional supply from the PatuXent.
The possibility of obtaining water
from the District of Columbia for
the new building was investigated,
it was learned. but the District de-
clined to furnish it.
Sewer lines from the new building
and any housing projects that may
be erected-will be connected with
the present Oxon Run sewer of the
Maryland system. This will be con-
nected with the District system and
60 through the Districts treatment
plant it was learned.
plant, it was asserted.