Evening star., 1952-09-24
Alexandra Ordered
To Explain Delay
On Sewage Plant
By Mary Lou Werner
Stor Stoff Correspondent

RICHMOND. Sept. 24.-The
Virginia State Water Control
Board today ordered the City of
Alexandria to file two reports
within 60 days on it's progress in
construction of sewage facilities.
Alexandria officials appeared at
a Water Board hearing here yes
terday to explain why a sewage
treatment plant was not in opera
tion by last July l. as ordered by
the Water Board.
A fine for violation Of orders
may be imposed by the Water
Board. The board announced that
it was continuing Alexandria S
case, however, and requiring the
city to make one report in 80 days
and q second II SO days
City Attorney v. Floyd williams
of Alexandra told the Water Board
the City Council is setting up an
authority to finance and admins
ter the sewage disposal system. He
said creation Of an authority was
recommended by the city's bond
advisers.
Rate Studies Made.
Mr.. Williams said engineers
have been instructed to bring
plans and specifications for the
sewage disposal system up to date
so construction bids can be in
vited as soon as the authority gets
organized and floats bond issue.
Rate studies have been made to
show how much the authority
must charge to retire the bond
issue, he added.
Mr.. Williams told of the regional
sewage disposal survey in which
Alexandria participated with Ar
lington, Fairfax and Falls Church.
The latest survey report suggested
that Alexandria and Fairfax could
save money by arranging Joint
use Of the proposed new Alex
andria plant.
when the real facts are ex-
amined in detail, the city feels
it. is apparent that, for the past
two and a half years, every effort
has been made to solve this prob
lem as speedily as possible, with
out being premature, financially
and otherwise" said Mr.. Will
liams. 1T would seem that Alex
andria's effort in this direction
has been more than justified in
that surveys recently submitted
show a savings to Fairfax and
Alexandria Of approximately $2.5
million.
"This figure does not even in
clude the saving in operating costs.
And most important of all, the
plans provide for a complete and
desirable system for years to
come and is not a temporary
solution"
Mr.. Williams said he failed to
see where any advantage would
be gained by harsh action against
the city at this time.
Certainly it cannot help us
build the system any better or
any faster than the rate at which
We are now proceeding" he de-
clared.
E. Blackburn Moore. chairman
OF the Water Board, said he
thought the city's record con-
dicted with some of its promises.
Delay Deplored.
''But we don't want to argue
that here today" said Mr.. Moore.
"The important thing is to get
the treatment plant built. You
have had plans since 1946.' There
has been plenty of delay
The chairman and other Water
Board members asked Mr.. Will
liams how soon he thought an
could be created. bonds
issued and construction started.
Mr.. Williams said. the authority
ordinance could be ready for
council action within a month,
barring delays In the State Cor
poration Commission. The ordi-I
nance could be finally adopted
within one more month. he said.
and it would take about two more
months to sell bonds.