Evening star., 1961-12-29
SEWAGE Plant Site

The recently announced
decision of the Washington
Suburban Sanitary Commits
sion to construct a major
sewage treatment plant in
the Piscataway Bay area is
a short-sighted plan and not
consistent with the long
range plans Of the Maryland
National Capital Park and
Planning Commission.
The decision is short
sighted because w. S. S. c.
frankly admits that 1t might
be necessary to abandon such
a sewage treatment plant
after 10 years, in favor Of a
regional plant to serve both
Charles and Prince Georges
Counties. In this eventual
ity, millions of tax dollars
would be literally and need
lessly wasted. Even more i'm
portant. however. a sewage
treatment plant such as w.
S. S. c. Is now contemplate
ing, can only compound the
pollution problems of the
Potomac. The seriousness of
this pollution problem can
not and should not be mini
mized. In a story by Charles
Pierce, appearing in The Star
Of December 18, 1861. Abel
Wolman. former head Of the
Department Of Sanitary En-
gineering of Johns Hopkins
University. warned that the
Washington area may have
to stop dumping even heavi-
ly treated sewage into the
Potomac. Mr.. Wolman said
that experience elsewhere
has shown that the nutrients
left in highly treated sewage
waste stimulates the growth
of algae. AS these algae die,
the effect is as bad as if the
sewage had not been treated
at all. That this is a real
and not an imaginary dan
ger, is Substantiated by a re-
port entitled "A Clean Po-
tomac River in the Washing
ton Metropolitan Area" The
report reads in part as fol-
lows:
For years Baltimore dis
charged its highly treated
sewage into the Back River
Estuary which, like the up
per estuary of the Potomac,
has a long flushing period.
From time to time very abun-
dant algae growth developed.
When these algae died, they
were blown ashore or else de-
composed in the water. Oxy-
gen disappeared. fish died,
and odors prevailed in the
area. The pollutional load
caused by the death Of the
algae was at times as great
as the load would have been
had the sewage not been
treated at ALL"
AS the report goes on to
point out, Baltimore only
solved its pollution problem
when 1t began piping its ef-
fluent a greater distance and
discharging it into the Pa
tapSco Estuary under much
more favorable dilution con-
ditions.
The Calvert Manor Civic
Association has recommend
ed a similar solution for our
pollution problems. We have
recommended that the con-
templated major sewage
treatment plant be construct
ed on Mattawoman Creek.
In addition to being short
sighted, the recently an
nounced plans of w. S. S. C.
pose a real threat to the his
toric shrines of Mt. Vernon
and Fort Washington. If
the proposed sewage treat
ment plant is constructed on
PiScataway Bay, the foul
odors cannot help but be car
ried to Mt. Vernon and Fort
Washington. Even more Sc
riously affected by these in
escapable foul odorS, would
be the newly created park
area approved by Congress
less than q year ago.
We want w. S. S. C.. to
hold a public hearing to air
where they propose to locate
the sewage treatment plant
and to give us a chance to
comment and make recon-
mendations.
Since financing is the most
formidable obstacle to build
ing a regional sewage treat
ment plant at the mouth Of
the MattaWoman Greek, we
want the State Of Maryland
to explore the possibility of
obtaining a construction
grant from the Federal Gov
ernment. Samuel J. Fusco,
President. Calvert Manor