Evening star., 1951-03-15
Committee Asks
Study
OF Sewer Needs
Nearby Communities
In Virginia Affected
By Recommendation

BY Recommendation
The governments of Alexandria.
Arlington. Fairfax and Falls
Church today were asked to au-
thorize a $4,000 joint survey Of
their sewage disposal problems.
The. recommendation is con-
tanned in a report of the Interim
Committee on Sewage that the
four jurisdictions appointed in
December. A survey first was pro-
posed by the committee in Janu-
ary. and since that time a choice
among three engineering proposals
has been the principal issue be-
fore the committee members.
To assure sufficient time for
contemplating the survey, the re-
port suggests that the interim
committee ask the State Water
Control Board for adequate ex-
tensions for any headlines that
have-or may be-imposed on the
affected communities regarding
pollution abatement.
Survey Firms Recommended.
BY 5-to-3 vote, the COMMITTEES
recommends in the report that
Alexander Potter Associates of New
York and Greely & Hansen Of
Chicago be employed for the sur
vey. The two firms submitted a
joint proposal for the survey, set
ting the cost at $4,000 and esti-
mating the minimum time for
services through and including
the progress report is approxi-
mately four months, and for all
of the studies, a total of SIX
months"
Some committee members were
of the opinion that the time clause
means the survey would be fin
ished in six months. while others
took it to mean "a minimum Of
six months" would be required.
Committee members were able
to agree unanimously on how the
four communities should share
the cost of the survey. Apportion-
ing so per cent of the cost on a
population basis and the other
so per cent on estimated costs for
each community to build separate
sewage treatment plants, the
committee recommended pay
ments as follows:
Alexandria, $4,000; Arlington,
$12,750; Fairfax, $4,000, and Falls
Church, $3.50.
Although the joint proposal Of
the two recommended firms is
more expensive and requires more
time than other engineering pro-
posals submitted, a majority Of
the committee members favored
it because they felt the firms were
better acquainted with sewage
problems of the nearby Virginia
area. Greely' & Hansen has for
some time been consultant to
Alexandria on sewage problems.
and Alexander Potter Associates
has had similar aff1liation with
Arlington County.
Committee members who voted
for those two firms were Albert A.
Smoot and G.. Luckett Watkins Of
Alexandria; Arthur I. Shaffer and
G. Hubbard Massey of Fairfax and
j. H. Mccarthy of Falls Church.
Robert w. Cox, committee
chairman, and B. Alden Lilywhite.
both of Arlington, favored reten-
ton of Alyord, Burdsck & How
son. Chicago engineers who pro-
posed to do the survey for $4,000
and estimated the time required
at three months. Besides favoring
that proposal as the quickest and
least expensive" Mr.. Cox and Mr..
Lilywhite said they felt it was best
to bring in a firm that had no pre-
vious connections with any OF the
Jurisdictions.
Another Bid Of S27,500.
The eighth committee member,
John Williams of Falls Church
favored the engineering proposal
of Gannet, Fleming, Corddry 6s
Carpenter of Harrisburg. Pa. That
firm set the cost at $27.500 and
estimated the time involved at
four or five months. Mr.. Will
liamS said he also thought it best
to bring in a firm that had no
previous connections with any Of
the jurisdictions.
The report points out, how
ever, that the engineering firms
finally recommended propose a
more detailed study of the prob
lem than the other firms. Object
Of the survey is to determine the
best method for the four COM
munities to dispose of sewage by:
/. Constructing separate dis
posal plants, as presently is
planned.
2. Pumping sewage of all four
communities beneath the Potomac
River to the District plant at Blue
Plains for treatment.
3. Building one sewage plant to
serve all of Northern Virginia.
4. Building several regional
plants to serve different water
sheds IN Northern Virginia.
Sidmn Phi Omenn IN Meef