Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-11
$34,5o0 Contract
Let for Stution
In Maryland
BY JOHN w. STEPP

"A $50, 5UU contract award 10
build a sewage pumping station
near Bladensburg yesterday
launched the final step in the
38-year drive to end pollution in
Maryland streams of the close-in
areas of Montgomery and Prince
Georges Counties.
Washington Suburban SAM
tary Commission awarded the
job to Canova Bros, Inc, of Col
Ilege Park, low bidder.
When the new station is COM
lpleted later this year. it will
pump the sewage of about 300
residents and public school To-
Gated in Colmar Manor into the
new Anacostia River line that
carries into Washington's sewer
system. These wastes now flow
raw into the Anacostia.
The project is but a small FLIP
to the commissions $40 million
clean-the-stresms expenditures
since 1852.
Tie-in Ranks High
Biggest single measure in rid
ding Anacostia of it's incredible
filth of recent years was the ex-
tension of WSSC's sewer system
to connect to Washington's near
East Capitol street. Although
completion of this line last Octo-
Der 20 was attended by no fan
fare, it ranks even ahead of
Alexandria's new sewage system
as the most important accom-
plishment in Metropolitan area
pollution abatement since con-
struction of Washington treat
ment plant at Blue Plains nearly
20 years ago.
The connection enabled aban-
donment of the WSSC treatment
plant and raw sewage outfall at
Bladensburg, where an average
of "a million gallons of conta-
mination had been spilling into
the Anacostia every day.
! When built in 1910, this plant
was designed adequately to ham
die rs million gallons daily. In
five years. with suburban Mary
land population exceeding en-.
gineers widest fears, it had be-
come badly overloaded, and the
river an open septic tank.
1913 Million Price Tag
The construction that has
, ended these conditions cost S3.8
million. 1t includes a sewer line
from Bladensburg to newly
built pumping station on Beav-
erdam Creek: the pumping sta
ton itself. and the further ex-
tension of the line from the sta
ton to the Washington system
on the east shore of the Anacos-
tia near East Capitol street.
Earlier this week, a contract
was let for developing engineer
ing details to extend this line to
connect with Washington'S main
outfall sewer at Poplar Point.
. near South Capitol street bridge.
This is necessary since the Dis
trict sewer now tied into at East
Capitol street is inadequate to
handle all the Maryland flows at
peak periods. The result is per-
iodic discharge of raw sewage
into the Anacostia at that point.
Construction of the Poplar
Point extension, for which
money has been allocated. will
total SIT million. 1t is due for
, completion in 1858.
Plant Improvement
Meanwhile, the Sanitary Com
mission is putting in $3.6 million
as its agreed share toward build
ing improved sewage treatment
facilities at Washington's Blue
Plains plant. Completion of this
huge project is slated for 1859.
Harry B. Shaw, chief engineer
of WSSC. regards these measures
and all those that began in the
formation of the sanitary district
, in 1913 as part of a continuing
program of Kidding area streams
of pollution.
Pointing out that the western
most reaches of the Sanitary Dis
trict have been linked with
Washington's sewer system for
years, Mr.. Shaw said he is con-
WINGED that the impending pro-
: jects in the Ancostia watershed
will mark the end of polluted
. streams under the commissions
jurisdiction.