Evening star., 1942-08-24
War Aggravates
Potomac River
Pollution
District to Be Forced
To Dump Sewage
Into Stream
By ROBERT c. HARPER.


quested for additional water facili-
ties incident to an ever-growing
population, District officials have
placed water protection first on the
list of wartime "musts" and are re-
signed to larger dumping of sewage
into the Potomac.
There are many reasons for. this
attitude, even If the District has a
genuine interest in the long-range
publication of the Potomac Basin.
The reasons ascribed are: \
The Potomac is not used for water
supply below Washington.
Pollution will not reach the she'll
fish industry in the lower Potomac
or affect the commercial fisheries
inSthat area.
Requires Much Steel.
1t would cost $4,oO0,0OO to build
additional underground tanks for
sewage disposal, an undertaking
that would require great deal of
steel, a critical material.
COLONIZATION of sewage could be
resorted to at estimated cost of
$500, 900, but chlorine also is a criti-
cal material.
District Sanitary Engineer J. B.
Gordon told committee of Con-
gress six months ago:
Because of the great use that will
be made of chlorine to keep water
systems safe in case of sabotage or
air raid, maybe we ought to conserve
all this chlorine for water supply
instead of using it in sewage treat
ment.
II cannot divorce my own views
as to the desirability of pollution
remedial steps from the needs of
the country as whole he stated.
I'VE must have pure water to drink;
saving fish life is not comparable
to saving human lives. The need
of conserving critical materials is
more vital now than alleviating
pollution in the Potomac"
Views Haven't Changed.
Mr.. Gordon said his views have
not changed in six months. In
January he told the House Com
mittee on Public Buildings and
Grounds that the only alternative to
spending $4.000.00O for additional
sewage disposal facilities or $500, 900
for chlorination treatment is "to let
a large degree of pollution go into
the Potomac River" :
This position was .aken by the
District authorities despite the adj
mitted inadequacy of the existing
sewage disposal plant. The present
plant was designed to take care Of
q population peak of $4,000 which,
1t was then anticipated, would be
reached by 1850. The 1910 census
listed Washington's actual popula-
ton as 663,091, and the influx OF
new residents in the last 18 months
now finds the District with an esti-
mated population of 100000 or more.
No funds for additional sewage
disposal facilities were made avail
able under the first or second Lam
ham Acts for public utilities and
housing extensions here.
Taxed to Capacity.
In other words, the greatly in
creased population here has put
washington back where it was before
the present sewage disposal plant
was finished in 1887. The facilities
designed to take care of a situation
In 1850 were taxed to capacity in
1910, with the result that sewage
incident to a greatly increased popu-
lation must be disposed OF in the
river below this city, due to the
lack of appropriations for improve
ments.
I'VE will be guided very largely by
the viewpoint of the United States
Public Health Service" Mr.. Cor
don told Congress. They are really
more concerned, I think, than we
are"
While Washington would not suf-
fer, ne added, I'VE are concerned
about dumping this sewage on COM
munities downstream"
It was his view then, and is today
that even with this added pollution
In the lower Potomac "shad ane
herring would come through" add
ing that "the fish that might appea
to members of the Izaac Waltor
League would probably disappea
from the stretch of the river righ
near Washington"
Commission Makes Study.
But if the District authorities
through a condition not of .thei
own choosing, are not shouting TO
immediate remedial measures, tn
Interstate Commerce Commission Of
the Potomac River Basin is maxim
studies with the view of post-wa
treatment of pollution along tn
entire Potomac Basin. 1t is an ad
visory body of which Edwin F
Gotten is engineer secretary.
has no control over water resource
and does not supersede existin
Federal, State and local authoritie'
The commission is headed by Coz
O'Conor of Maryland.
1t does offer to help the Distrie
Oh SOlCIIlUld anu bilC otdtCS VI VAdl y
land, Virginia, West Virginia an
PENNSYLVANIA by determining tn
status and effects of stream pollu
ton, and by assisting in the promul
cation, adoption and operations +
a. unified pollution control progra,
that will conform with plans fc
judicious development of the basin
resources. 1t expects to accomplis
Its detectives through an informe
public opinion that demands pre-
lection of these vital resources
Principal areas Of upper Potoms
River pollution have been the ir
dustrial territory of Keyser, w. Va
and Cumberland, Md. plus tt
drainage from abandoned CO.
mines that pollutes the water.