Evening star., 1953-08-12
SewageP|ant
In Arlington
Open Soon
Expanded Operation
Costing So Million
To Resume in Month
BY WilIium J. EIvin

BY WiIIiom }. EIvin
The Potomac River will be
cleaner next month when Arling-
TONS sewage-treatment plant
goes into operation.
The county has spent So mill
lion since 1851 at its plant near
United States Route / at South
Glebe road and South Eads
street.
The old plant. built in 1885.
reached its capacity in 1910 as
Arlington's population began its
spectacular rise.
From 1910 to 1852, part of the
county'S sewage was routed
around the treatment plant and
flowed raw into the Potomac.
Since February. 1852. when con-
of the new plant was
started, there has been no sewage
treatment in Arlington.
Opening of the expanded IA
cilities next month is expected
to meet demands of the State
Water Control Board for county
treatment to reduce pollution.
Make Sewage Harmless.
The primary treatment plant.
according to County Sanitary
Engineer Frederick H. Doe, jr.,
will be adequate to render sew
age harmless and inoffensive.
Liquid eff1uent from the plant
will be readily absorbed by the
river in the immediate area,
Sludge left by the process will
be burned In the county incin-
orator.
The plant will treat about IS
million gallons a day. three times
the capacity of the old facilities.
The expanded installation can
easily take care of 20 million
gallons a day.
Mr.. Doe, County Manager A.
T. Lundberg and Richard M.
Writ, Director of Public Service.
believe operation of the plant
will be more efficient and more
economical than the other in
StallationS of similar size. The
treatment facilities tie in with
the adjacent county incinerator.
opened about three years ago.
Two huge lines RUN into the
plant, bringing sewage from the
county, part of Alexandria, q
small section Of Fairfax County.
and about a third of Falls
Church. The lines are known as
the Four Mile Run interceptor
and the Potomac interceptor.
Large Objects Screened.
A screen keeps large objects
such as logs out of the treatment
process. The sewage is pre-
chlorinated to reduce odors dur.
ing treatment.
In the next stage, sand and
grit are removed to reduce wear
and damage to machinery. Then
two tanks called comminutors
grind the solids to sizes no larger
than a Quarter-inch.
Two old settling tanks were
doubled in size in the expansion
program and two new ones were
added. In these tanks, the solids
are separated. The liquid efflu-
ent is taken off to the river and
the solids are put through a
chemical process where bacteria
destroy organic matter.
In the ch m mical process,
nethane gas is produced which is
used to heat the plant. Because
Of the presence of gas, there are
no overhead electric wires and
all electrical installations are ex-
plosion-proof.
The sludge remaining after the
chemical process is dried by ma
chinery. This replaces the old
drying beds. which often
were inefficient because Of wet
weather and other conditions.
BY this time. the sludge Is
adjacent to the incinerator,
where it is burned. The residue
is hauled away.
Bond Issue Voted.
Construction of the new plant
was made possible by a bond
issue of $2.617,00O approved by
county voters in 1851. The bal
ance is being met from current
revenues in 1928 and in this
fiscal year.
Alexander Potter Associates
designed the project and
Thomas-Starrett Co., Inc, Of
New York, were the builders.
A. F. Chamblin is superintend-
ent of both the treatment plant
and the incinerator. A staff of
% men will operate both in
stallations.
The county's population, now
estimated at about 155,000, can
grow to 100000 before new facil-
tiles will be needed.
The plant has been built 50
that it can be used for secondary
treatment. This higher degree
Of treatment would have little
effect on the Potomac now be.
cause Washington, Alexandria
and Fairfax have only primary
systems.
When the Districts second-
ary treatment plant is completed
and other nearby Virginia's
areas have at least primary
treatment facilities, Arlington
will be ready to consider fur
ther improvements.
BY that time-possibly 1870
the goal Of q clean Potomac
Ihould be near achievement.
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