Evening star., 1949-09-30
10-Mi||ionWater
Plan Launched
In2Counties
Expansion Of Facilities
Set in Prince Georges
And Montgomery
ByJ. B. Zotmon


A $10.o00,000 construction pro-
gram to expand water facilities in
suburban Montgomery and Prince
Georges Counties has been
launched by the Washington
Suburban Sanitary Commission.
The Star learned today.
Described by officials as the
largest ever undertaken by the
commission, the program will aug
ment existing facilities In a move
to meet the needs of the rapidly
increasing population in the two
counties.
About 40 per cent of the various
projects will be completed next
summer, with the remainder to be
finished during the next five years.
The first step in the program
consists of construction of a water
treatment plant at Willis School
near Laurel. capable of turning
out 100000 gallons daily, more
than double the commission's
present filtration plant there.
S412,800 Contract Let.
A $412,800 contract for the work
has been awarded to the Chicago
Bridge & Iron Co.. Although COM
pletion is expected next May. an
other two months will be needed
for the installation by the COM
mission of the necessary valves,
pipes and sand for filters at an
additional cost of 100000.
Two more reservoirs. with a
capacity of 100000 gallons. also
will be built at Willis School as
part of the new filtration plant.
The commission now has only one
reservoir there with capacity of
100000 gallons.
: Construction will start soon on
q new 5000. .000-gallon pump at
the Rocky Gorge Pumping Sta
ton on the Patuxent River about
/ mile west of Laurel to pump the
raw water from the Patuxent to
the Willis School filtration plants.
To complete the project. the
commission will accept bids next
month on 10000 feet Of supply
lines to carry the water from the
Rocky Gorge Pumping Station to
Willis School. The cost was esti-
mated at 100000.
In addition, bids will be ac-
cepted during the next two months
on the construction of $4,000 feet
of pipe from Willis School to the
Wheaton reservoir at an esti-
mated cost of $1.625.0 900.
Commission officials explained
Wheaton is the principal distrib-
uting point for Montgomery Coun-
ty and the pipes will enable it to
keep an adequate supply Of water
there.
Another portion Of the program
to be completed next year calls
for construction of the following
water supply lines in Prince
Georges County:
About $4,000 feet from Metzerott
road to University lane, $24l 900;
lao feet between University lane
and Ager road, 10000; $500 feet
along Old Colesville road from
Metzerott road to University lane.
S57,750; 5000 feet along Old Coles
vile road from Wells boulevard to
Queens Chapel road, $37,6
Other Supply Lines.
Also, 1,340 feet between College
Heights drive and Clagett road.
$8,040; 1900 feet along Forty-first
avenue, Hyattsville. from Hamil-
ton avenue to Emerson street.
$s,100; 38,700 feet from Hamilton
avenue to the intersection Of Ed
nonston and Greenbelt roads,
1896 900; 1850 feet along Sheriff
road between Sixty-fourth avenue
and Hill road, $42, ,525. and $500
feet along Massachusetts, avenue,
extended, at a cost of $43 900 to
serve the communities of Sumner,
Glen Echo Heights and Wood
Acres.
Also included in the program
are construction of $500, ,000-
gallon storage tank at Riggs road
and University lane at a cost of
IS, 900 and a 1000, ,000-gallon stor-
age tank in Rogers Heights to cost
$157,000.
Highlighting the second portion
of the program is a dam and
reservoir with a capacity Of about
5000, 900, 900 gallons on the Patux-
ent River near Laurel. The cost
was estimated at $3,573 900. The
commissions present dam and
reservoir at Brighton, about 4
miles from Ashton, holds $780,
100000 gallons.
New Pumping Station Planned.
Included in that portion Of the
program are construction of a
23,340-foot supply line from Willis
School to Beltsville at a cost of
$685.. .750; 1880 feet of line from
Beltsville to Greenbelt to cost
St. EIizubeth's |