Evening star., 1953-07-26
Sewer Projects
For Alexandra
To Get 81 Start
FuII-Speed Aheud
Is Planners Word
After 7-Yeor Delay
By Mary Lou Werner

n
Seven years have passed since
Alexandria first completed orig
inal plans for a sewage disposal
system.
Construction hasn't started
yet. It probably won't until next
spring. The city often has been
accused of dragging its feet on
pollution matters.
But the new Alexandra San
itation Authority has been given
the responsibility of construct
ing and operating sewage dis
posal facilities for the city. and
means to get things done as fast
as possible.
What's more, the Authority
promises that Alexandra will
have the most effective treat
ment plant in the metropolitan
area when it goes into opera
ton. Then Alexandria might
turn the tables on neighboring
communities and urge them to
expand their facilities.
Delays Are Explained.
There are reasons why Alex
andria is the last community in
this area to provide treatment
for its sewage.
First, the city became in
volved in annexation proceed
ings against Fairfax County. It
didn't want to go ahead with
sewage construction when the
city boundaries might soon ex-
pand and larger facilities would
be needed.
Then it was decided to inves-
tigate the possibility Of saving
money with a joint sewage pro-
gram. That took about a year.
The study showed that Alex
andria and Fairfax could save
money by join use Of Alexan-
dria's proposed new disposal
system. The Alexandria author
ity's plans make provision for
such an arrangement.
Planning also has taken a lot
of time. Working plans now are
complete for two Of the three
major intercepter sewers that
will carry sewage to the new
disposal plant.
Plans are ready for the Com
monwealth avenue and Potomac
River intercepters. The former
will run 3.5 miles along Com
monwealth avenue. 1t will pick
up sewage throughout the Del
Ray and Rosemont area. This
sewage now empties into the old
Holmes Run sewer.
Some Sewers 10 Years Old.
The Potomac River intercepter
will run two miles along the
city's waterfront, picking up
sewage from II old. open lines
that now flow directly into the
Potomac River. Some Of these
old sewers were laid as far back
as the l880's.
The Potomac intercepter took
some intricate planning. A
special extension had to be in
cluded where it crosses Pendle-
ton street because sewage at that
point now flows into an open
ditch. then flows 500 feet to the
river.
Along Union street, the en-
gineers had to plan for moving
railroad tracks-but keep them
underway. To complicate the
work further, much of the Po-
tomac intercepter will lay below
water level.
Currently on the drawing
boards are plans for the third
intercepter which will extend
six miles along Holmes and
Cameron runs from the city's
western boundary. This inter-
cepter will serve portions OF
Fairfax County. The Holmes
Run intercepter plans are due in
November.
Treatment Plant Planned.
Last on the planning schedule
is the treatment plant. Engi-
neers say completed plans should
be ready in February 1854. The
plant will be designed to provide
IS per cent treatment. It will be
located at the foot Of Payne
street on city-owned land border
ing Hunting Creek.
The authority plans to ask bids
on the entire $9.4 million project
before issuing bonds to finance
it. James J. Corbalis, jr., engi-
neer-director of the authority,
said better bids might be re-
ceived on the bonds if firm con-
struction bids are in hand.
Mr.. Corbalis believes all the
preliminaries should be completed
so construction can begin in the
spring. The entire system should,
be completed two years later.