Evening star., 1947-12-12
26 Millions Seen
Cost 10 D. T.. in
Potomac Abuses
Basin Session Told
Power to AssimuIote
Pollution Is Menuced
By james BirchfieId

By james BirehfieId
Harold A. Kemp, District sanitary
engineer and vice chairman of the
Interstate Commission on the Poto-
mac River Basin, warned today that
excessive encroachment on the Poto-
mac in the Washington area may
cost District taxpayers as much as
$26000,000 for additional sewage
treatment facilities.
Addressing the commissions win
ter meeting in the Mayfower Hotel,
Mr.. Kamp urged the group to do
all in its power to prevent excessive
encroachment, which reduces the
rivers power to assimilate pollution
Mr.. Kemp described encroachment
on the river as thoughtless filling
in of stream banks and other me-
chanical changes, often accompany
ing urban development, that tends
to destroy natural mud fats in the
main stream and in the broad, shall
low estuaries, such as Hunting Creek
below Alexandria.
Should the present ability of the
river to assimiliate pollution be de-
creased" Mr.. Kemp said, "it may
be necessary to use completely diff
ferent method of treatment, at far
greater cost.
For example, the installation costs
Of new equipment could easily be
Increased SIC, ,000,0 900, and the annual
cost of operation increased by $780,
600. If the annual cost is capi-
talized at 3 per cent, the total cost
to the Metropolitan Area from en-
croachment on the river would ex-
coed SIC, 900 00O."
Start On Program Cited.
Asserting that the area of the
river from Key Bridge to Great
Falls should Be brought up to q
standard of purity such that the
water would be fit for swimming
and that the Anacostia and that
section of the river from Fort Foot
to Key Bridge should be raised from
the nuisance classification, Mr..
Kemp said the District already has
started a program that should ac-
complish this end.
Mr.. Kemp explained that the river
from Key Bridge to Great Falls will
be made suitable for swimming by
coordination btween the Washing
ton Suburban Sanitary Commission
and the District, whereby Maryland
sewage now emptying in the Po-
tomac will be intercepted and
brought into the District lines for
treatment.
The Anacostia pollution load will
be diminished, he said, when sewage
from that section of Maryland Is
brought into the District lines for
treatment.
The Potomac below Hains Point,
he said, will be made suitable for
navigation and industrial use when
additional treatment facilities are
installed by the District and when
treatment plants, now in the plan
ming stage in the Metropolitan Viz
ginia Area, eventually are con-
structed.
Pollution Overload Estimated.
To-day, even after treatment, We
are discharging pollution load from
100000 people into the Potomac
River and its tributaries" Mr.. Kemp
said. "Since the river at present is
capable of handling a pollution load
from about 100000 people and main
tanning itself in satisfactory con-
dition, it Is obvious that an overload
of 100000 persons is being imposed
on it.
'It is this overload that is degrad-
ing the sanitary condition of the
Potomac in the Metropolitan Area.
Estimating the population of the
area at about 100000 by 1880, Mr.
Kemp said it will be necessary to
increase treatment u per cent by
then.
Already looking toward the future
he explained the District now has
available $1,370,000 toward the con-
stuction of additional facilities.
At sessions yesterday, I. G. Vass
Waynesboro Va) City manager
said State and Federal aid to com
munities may be necessary, If these
smaller cities are to provide facilities
for pollution abatement.
Points to Bond Limit.
He pointed out that most munic-
ipalities are limited on the amount
Of bonds that can be issued, adding
that since large funds are needed
for school, highway and other i'm
provements, 1t is unlikely that many
cities viii be able to construct sewage
treatment plants.
He said Waynesboro is studying
the possibility Of cooperating with
industrial installations in the Joint
disposal of wastes, both commercial
and municipal.
James A. Corbalis, Fairfax County
sanitary engineer, suggested that a
cooperative method for sewage dis
posal in the Virginia metropolitan
area be studied.
Mr.. Corbalis said 1t might be pos
sible for one plant to treat wastes
from Fairfax and Arlington Counties
and Alexandra at costs much lower
than would be involved if each COM
munity owned and operated its own
plant.
Harry Hall, chief engineer for the
p washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission, was elected chairman
OF new committee composed of
representatives Of local governments
in the basin.
In addition to Mr.. Hall, Mr.. Vass
and Mr.. Corbalis, committee men,
bers present at yesterdays session
included Elwood Johnson, assistant
District sanitary engineer, and
Mayor T. S. Post of Cumberland
Md. Other members are j. Paul
Blundon, Mayor of Keyser, w. Va.
and Mayor Blair M. Haines OF
Romney. w. Va. Additional men,
bers, bringing the committee MEM
Id - 4 T.