Evening star., 1945-08-05
Group 10 Map
Potomac Basin
Pollution Drive
Interstate Meeting
Expected to Set Up
Zoning System
BY JAMES BIRCHFIELD.

BY JAMES BIRCHFIELD.
A broad plan for correcting pol
luton abuses and for taking ad-
vantage of potential uses OF the
Potomac River basin will be formu.
lated Friday and Saturday at q
meeting at Hershey, Pa, of the
Interstate Commission on the Pc.
tomac River Basin.
The commission, which consists
of representatives from Virginia
West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsyl.
yania, the District. and the Federal
Government, is expected to estab.
lish a coming plan that will set ur
pater pollution criteria for streams
in the basin. ..
Also up for discussion will be
research projects to lessen water
contamination from industrial es.
tablshments, methods of relieving
sewage contamination and other
long-range eantipollution programs
to conserve the priceless water re-
sources" of the 14.500-square mile
drainage basin.
Tests Of Water Quality.
In its zoning plan for the basin
the commission hopes to set up foul
main tests of water quality which
it will endeavor to reach and main.
tain in the future. This plan will
be an elastic one, subject to adjust
ment as necessary.
For example, the basin may bt
divided into four main zones con.
sisting of four classes of water
Glass A water would be tnat fount
in the streams at the headwaters oi
the rivers making up the basin
and would be water fit to drink with
no treatment other than chlorina
tion.
Class B water would be satisfac.
tory for bathing, recreation and fol
fish life, while Class c water woulc
include water for industrial proc.
esses and for domestic use aftel
treatment. Glass D, the lowest clas.
sification, would be water that woule
be kept in general sanitary condi.
ton to prevent nuisance.
Zoning Map Planned.
Glass water. for example, woulc
be found at the District, at Cum.
berland, NJ, and at other indus
trial sections along the rivers oil
the basis. Travelling down the river.
of the basin from their headwater
past the polluted. or Class D area
at Cumberland, zoning map woulc
show an area Of less pollution, OIL
Glass B water, to Williamsport, Pa.
where pollution from Hagerstowr
would drop the quality to Glass C
Through Loudoun County, Va.
and Montgomery County, Md, the
river again would be In Glass E
until just below Great Falls, where
it would be influenced by the Dis.
trict industrial area.
These changes in water quality
are the result of the ability of run
ming streams to purify themselves
The speed of self-purification is de.
pendent on the amount of pollution
water volume and distance of flow
Home Reforms Started.
In discussing research projects tt
combat industrial pollution, commits.
sion engineers explained that many
industries in the area already hav,
instigated reforms, and that the
commission will seek to further
these and to discover economically
feasible" ways of increasing anti.
pollution programs.
OF the SO industries listed as dis
charging wastes directly into Po-
tomac basin streams, 48 now treat
their wastes in some manner be-
fore discharge, or have changed
their process to reduce pollution
commission engineers explained.
The discharge from these plants
is estimated at 100000 gallons
per day, while discharges from the
so other plants that do not treat
their wastes are estimated at 81.
000, 900 gallons per day.
Viscose Spent S135,0O0.
The American ViScoSe plant al
Front Royal, Va, recently spent
S135, 900 for waste-treatment plant
to relieve pollution in the Shenan-
doah. and other plants Throughout
the basin are considering similar
programs.
The commission estimates thai
the 124 communities in the basin
with populations over 500. discharge
approximately 100, ,000, 900 gallons o1
sewage into the streams each day
OF this amount, 10000, 1000 gallon.
receive no treatment and 1900, ,0O(
gallons receive only secondary
treatment.
In relieving sewage pollution, tn.
commission will seek to promots
cooperative sewage processing
plants among communities in varf.
Gus areas, thus cutting the expenses
of plants to each community.
Anacostia River Discussed.
Already plans are under discus.
sion, it was said, for the Washing
ton Suburban Sanitary Commission
to connect with the District pro.
cessing plant at Blue Plains, thu!
correcting a pollution problem IL
the Anacostia River from the SAM
tary Commissions plant near Blad
ensburg, where about 20 per cen
of the sewage now enters the rive
with only superficial treatment. I
is expected that this plan will be
come effective .as soon as material
are available for the extension o
measures at Blue Plains.
Plans also are being discussed TO
a cooperative disposal plant for Ar,
iington County and Alexandria, thu
relieving the necessity for Arlington
alone to expand its present facili.
ties. These, commission official,
said, are the methods that will bs
used in sewage pollution abatement
Would Be Far Reaching.
"A successful stream pollution
control program must recognize the
interrelation of all water resources
of the entire basin," the commits
sion has pointed out. A program de-