Evening star., 1952-10-13

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I'D. {. 10 LET Contract
For New Sewage Plant
facility in Few Days
i The District is taking steps
this week in the second phase of
a program to clean up the Po-
ltomac River in the Metropolitan
Area.
Harold A. Kemp, District san
itary engineering director, said
today the Charles H. Tompkins
Co. of Washington was the low
bidder for the construction of
sewage sludge-drying plant at
the disposal plant at Blue Plains.
The bid was $1,526.378.50 for a
plant estimated to cost in the
enighborhood of SIS million.
Mr.. Kemp said the Custodis
Construction Co., Inc, of New
York was low bidder for the con-
struction of a chimney at the
new plant. The bid was $39.820.
He said the contracts for the
new construction are in the hands
of the corporation counsel and
are expected to be let within the
next few days.
Mr.. Kemp said $731,363 worth
of equipment for the new drying
plant, purchased last year. is be-
ing received. The equipment will
be on hand when the plant is
completed.
Second Step in Program.
The drying plant will become
the second step in q long range
lprorgam that is expected to see the
District removing IS per cent of
the pollution from it's sewage
wastes by 1860.
The plant also will enable the
District to receive an income from
the sale of dried sewage sludge,
which is used as fertilizer ma
terial. At present the sludge is
shipped to Lorton. Va, where it
is stored in huge piles. It's water
content is too high for efficient
agricultural use.
Mr.. Kemp explained that the
first step in the Districts plan
for pollution abatement was the
construction of additional sedi-
mentation tanks at the Blue
Plains plant.
These were placed in use last
spring, Mr.. Kemp said. The dry
ing plant is necessary before con-
struction can begin on additional,
or secondary treatment facilities,
which will take additional pollu-
ton from the wastes.
Bidding Planned in 1853.
Mr.. Kemp said bids for the con-
struction of the secondary treat
ment facilities are expected to be
taken next year. These facilities,
he said, are expected to cost in the
neighborhood of $9.5 million, and
should be in partial operation by
1856.
"The critical year in the pro-
gram to clean up the Potomac
River" Mr.. Kemp said, will be
1866. BY that time" he added,
"the river in the Metropolitan
area will become septic unless the
District and the neighboring COM
munities provide more treatment
facilities.
"A septic river will destroy all
aquatic life and will become an
area health menace" he said.
At present Arlington County isl
expanding its treatment facilities.
When completed, this system will
provide primary treatment. re-
moving about 33 per cent of the
pollution.
Fairfax Building Plant.
Fairfax County also is con-
Structing a plant for Sanitary Dis
trict No. /. When completed, this
plant should provide about so peri
cent or more treatment. The Vir-
ginia Water Control Board is urg-
ing Alexandria to construct a |
plant. This city now dumps its
sewage raw into the Potomac.
On the Maryland side, most Of |
the sewage from the Maryland
Suburban Sanitary Commission
now flows through the District
lines. Plans are under way to i'm
prove this agreement.
BY next year it is expected that
Maryland will close its plant on
the AnacoStia, thus relieving that
river of its pollution load. This
will come through the District
system, and Maryland's share in
the treatment costs will increase
from about $4,000 year to about
$4,000 a year.
Additional lines are being plan
ned also from other Maryland
areas into the District system.
In addition to treatment facili-
ties. Mr.. Kemp said that the Dis |,
trict must build new lines withinl
its own borders He said thel:
necessary storm and sanitaryl
sewer improvements are estimated
at $40 million during the next six
years. / u