Evening star., 1941-12-07
and 80 high
Ghost Village of 7HdeIphio
Going Down for Third Time
New Potuxent Dam to Flood Site
Of Once-P Prosperous Mill Town

The road connected the Brookville
Pike with Route 40, the Baltimore
Frederick highway.
Three new roads will be built. how
ever The flooded route will be re-
located and carried across the dam.
A second road will be raised and
provided with q new bridge and q
third will be entirely relocated and
carried over bridge.
The dam will be part of 81 500,-
900 program to increase the water
supply to nearby Maryland. A reser-
voir, 5.4 miles long and having a
capacity of $500 100000 gallons. will
flood IT'S acres of ground behind the
dam. About 1000 acres will be ac-
uuired by the commission 10 PROVIDE
for a marginal area around the res
ervoir.
Much New Equipment.
Other features of the program IN
clude an intake on the PatuXent
River and a pumping station with
capacity of 100000 gallons daily
about mile above Laurel near the
Willis School: a force main to inter
plant with a nominal capacity OF
10000 900 gallons daily on the baur-
el-Burtonsville road about 3.3 miles
west of Laurel, and filtered water
sunnlv line to Branchville to con-
meet with the present Distribution
svstem in Prince Georges County.
The urgency of enlarging the pres
ent supply is created by the rapid
increase in consumption due TO
nopulati ton influx caused by de-
fenSe activities, the commission salo.
II is expected that more than 1000
new properties. some OF which are
large apartment houses. and about
900 new houses on Federal defense
housing projects. as we'll as the
new Federal office building at Suit
land. will be connected to the sys-
tenn this year.
The drought for the past three
months has compelled the commits
sion to draw heavily upon the Wash
ington water system to the extent
of about two-thirds of its daily con-
sumption and it is felt that the
same amount of water will not be
available from Washington in 1912.
In Use by Spring.
The urgent need for additional
supplies next year has made it nee
essary that work be planned so
the dam will carry sufficient water
by March IS to allow for collecting
the spring run-of and impounding
900 900 900 gallons of water. The
entire structure is not expected to
be completed until September, 1912,
however
Pointing to an average daily in
crease in water consumption from
less than 100000 gallons about %
years ago to more than 5000 900
today. with a corresponding popu-
lation gain from 10000 to about
10000 inhabitants in the sanitary
district. the commission said the
new dam can be developed to sup
ply 100000 people in the future.
When the present program is COM
pleted, the existing filter plant at
Burnt Mills will continue to supply
water from the Northwest branch to
Montgomery County and any def
cheney in the flow from this source
during dry weather will be made up
from water pumped from the Pa
tuxent River at Mink Hollow The
dam. will store the Patuxent River
water so as to regulate the stream
flow in order that an ample amount
will be permitted to continue down.
stream at all times to supply the
Mink Hollow and Laurel pumping
stations. The latter will furnish all
the water required by Prince
Georges County through the Willis
/ School filter plant.