Evening star., 1955-06-11
'0fficia|s Tour
Sewer Project
Treatment System
Costing $8.2 Million
By MARY LOU WERNER

Alexandria and Fairfax County
officials have had their first look
at the jonitly-sponsored $8.2 mil
lion sewage treatment system
that is expected to put them way
out in front of other Washington
area communities in pollution
abatement.
Representatives of the two
governments yesterday were
taken on tour of a mammoth
project, now third complete.
despite a series of unusual prob
lens engineers have had to cope
with as the work progressed.
The system will serve all Of
Alexandria and portions OF Fair
fax County that the existing
county disposal plant cannot &C
commodate without overlooking.
Taxpayers of the two jurisdic-
tions are saving several million
dollars by the Joint action.
Included in the project are
about 6 miles of big interceptor
lines to bring sewage to the dis
posal plant under construction
on the banks of Hunting Greek.
Two pumping stations also are
part of the project.
80 Per Cent Treatment
James j. Corbalis, jr., engineer
director of the Alexandria SAM
Itation Authority, said the plant
will provide secondary, or 80 per
cent treatment when it goes in
Operation next June. That is q
higher degree of treatment than
any other big plant in the area
now provides, he said. The Dis
trict expects to put part OF its
secondary treatment facilities
into operation in 1857 and plans
to complete installation of Sec
ondary treatment facilities by
1859.
what good will it do to get
ours ready if Washington keeps
polluting the Potomac River?"
asked Mayor Marshall j. Bev-
ierley. remembering all the crit
icism that has come from across
the river for years because Of
raw sewage emptying into the
Potomac River from Alexan-
dria.
well, the District is on its
way" replied Mr.. Corbalis. eve
just hope Congress sees fit to
keep on appropriating the money
Washington needs to build all
Iof its secondary treatment facil-
tiles" :.
The Alexandria Sanitation
Authority was created in 1858 to
build and operate the system.
Revenue bonds for the project
were sold and Fairfax County is
under contract to pay its share
of the cost annually.
Construction started last De-
cember 16. The work is being
done under 10 separate contracts
by 10 different firms.
The tour started at the treat
ment plant, which is about 80
per cent complete. n
At one point the party reached
the Jones Point property owned
by the Government. The Sani-
tation Authority had made ar
arrangements in advance with the
General Services Administration
to extend the pipeline through
the property.
But a Navy commander who
hadn't heard about the agree
ment came out and stopped the
workmen when they started to
dig there.
Work Interrupted
mo tresspassing," said the
commander. Work stopped while
Sanitation Authority officials
hustled over to Washington to
get the matter Strengthened out,
Hours and several telephone calls
later they finally reached a
Ipractical-minded Government
official who told them to "go
ahead-well straighten it all out
later"
Others who went on the tour
yesterday included Fairfax Su-
Ipervisors Maurice Foxord, C. B.
Jett; County Executive C. c.
Massey. Alexandria City Man
ager Ira Willard of Alexandra,
Alexandria Councilmen John
Ewald and Frank Mann, Fairfax
Sanitation Engineer Harry Hally,
Alexandra Public Works Direc-
tor Phil Hall, number of other
public and private engineers and
the following members of the
Alexandria Sanitation Authority:
Chairman Albert A. Smoot, Will
liam t. Wilkins, Chester Pierce
and Linwood E. Reed.