Evening star., 1951-04-17
d. {. Man Held Arlington Joins
In Roundupof1 II Sewage Survey,
|Druq Suspects Ending Deadlock
Six-Month Study
Now Up to State
Water Control Board
By Mary Lou Werner

VutSt SOI1lGUI OOUIU
By Mary Lou Werner
An engineering survey of North
ern Virginia's sewage disposal
problems was virtually assured to-
day after Arlington County agreed
to participate.
Meeting informally with Alex
andria, Falls Church and Fairfax
officials. four Arlington board
members last night agreed to sup
port the joint survey even though
the county will proceed with plans
to expand its existing disposal
plant.
Only the approval of the State
Water Control Board is needed to
assure the survey.
Governing bodies of the other
three communities earlier had
agreed to participate in the sur
vey, which will cost 100000 and
require about six months to COM
|plete. An interim committee ap-
pointed to study the best methods
of sewage disposal recommended
the survey.
Arlington had favored a shorter
and cheaper survey. hoping that
it could be completed before the
county is ready to go ahead with
its plant expansion plans.
Early Outlook Unfavorable.
At the outset Of last nights
meeting, it appeared unlikely that
the stalemate could be broken.
Robert w. Cox. chairman of the
interim committee and a member
of the Arlington Board, explained
that his county was threatened
with lawsuit if expansion of the
disposal plant was not carried out
under terms of a bond issue ref
erendum last November. Mr.. Cox
and B. Alden Lillywhite of Arling-
ton. were the only committee
members who favored the short
and cheaper survey.
Others on the committee in
sisted on the more exhaustive
study because it was proposed by
two firms that had done other
work in the area.
Aren't we letting the taxpayers
down if we don't solve this prob
lem on a regional basis?" asked
Albert A. Smoot, one of the Alex
andria's representatives on the
committee.
"It's not just important to
Northern Virginia, alone" he
continued. THE District is great
ly concerned. We have figures
that show the District is contri-
buting about 80 per cent of the
pollution load in the Potomac
River"
James J. Corbalis, jr., Fairfax
sanitary engineer, said his county
agreed to participate in. the re-
gional survey while proceeding
with plans fon construction of a
separate disposal plant.
rs Arlington not forgetting
about the future?" asked Mr..
Corbalis.
G. Hubbard Massey, Fairfax rep
resentative on the committee, said
his county realized its present
plans would not take care of the
county forever. and wanted to
know the best way to proceed in
the future.
Alfred Frisbie of the Arlington
board said he thought Arlington
could participate in the regional
study in spite of the plant expan-
sion program and F. Freeland
Chew, another Arlington Board
member, agreed.
Mrs. Florence Cannon, chair
man Of the Arlington board, first
said her county would gain moth
ing by participating but changed
her position after County Man
ager A. T. Lundberg said Arling-
ton soon will have to consider
providing a higher degree of
treatment for sewage than is pos
sible under present plans. He said
the regional survey could touch
upon this as we'll as the possibility
of Alexandria sharing the Arling-
ton plant.
Sees Both Actions Possible.
Mr.. Cox said the Arlington
board has reached a point that by
Saturday I'VE can tell our county
manager to go ahead with steps to
expand our own plant and at the
same time participate in the
regional survey"
Once the engineering survey has
the formal support of all four
communities, the next step is for
the interim committee to ask the
State Water Control Boards ap-
proval. =