Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1962-10-04
TN INEL COUNTY, MD = - ~ 4

polan Areas May 1852 Abel Woman professor emer
Sanitary Engineering Johns Hopkins University es
of O90O00 people living in metropolitan areas
country served by septic tanks What is
pertinent the Montgomery County issue is Dr. Wolmans
that 10 Is million of the 23OOOOOO should not
have septic tanks
discussions of the failures in septic tank
performance Montgomery County great many side issues
raised relevant and not One of these
question possible association with of infectious
hepatis mentioned Infectious hepaitis has been
reportabe disease in Maryland 1850 Characteristic
cay there high and low of incidence of the disease
The of hepats in Montgomery County during the
past years reflection OF what has been happening in
the state and the nation whole Last year was the high
1850 for number of in the nation
well in Maryland
Statewide the number of this year running
slightly at this time last year There
SIS reported of August % of this in Mary
land compared to $50 this time last In Mont
County there have been only % reported far
this year. august 49, Last year this time 106 had
been reported in the county
The mode of transmission of this disease is through
intimate persontoperson contact with respiratory spread
possible epdemcs related conami-
mated food and milk The archaeological Characters
tics of the in Montgomery County different from
those in the of the state and the nation and there is
evidence that contaminated water is involved
essence the Montgomery County septic failures
provide excellent illustration of breakdown controls,
which in the face rapid changes the envronmenta
contain number of inherent Deficiencies This would be
equally in other where rapid suburban develop
occurring 1t should be clearly understood by all
cered that no matter how mecous and sincere the effort
is apply all present regulations impossible
avoid failures Instead must be expected that the
inherent defects of inadequate methods Of
trolling individual sewage disposal and individual sup
ply systems in the face of rapid urbanizaion be
peced yield failures and will under circumstances
yield the kind of ideal control of sewage disposal which
sumably society expects.
To put another way the and local health depart
ments are put in the position of performing virtually inn
possible task by regulating the development subdivisions
served by individual wells and individual septic
the risk of failures included calculation.
Biologists are in agreement that virtual impossible
lily to tut sewage the ground without expecting that will
get into the ground supply which is the
ing water for individual wells Indeed the advent of wide
spread of synthetic detergents has provided
tive efficient and economical index prove accuracy
this statement Chemical testing for the detergent
in drinking water is rapidly becoming standard environ
mental laboratory procedure.
In the face of rapidly expanding population the
trend towards standardization clearly understood
as basic premise of strategy safeguard the
ment from potential hazards to health that the septic tank
and the practice of dsposng of other
the ground the densely populated with
unsuitable soil characteristics is basicaly Unsound
In other words the septic tank is obsolete and insult
able method of disposal in the present situation
Several years ago 1850 the Maryland Department
of Health proposed to the joint meeting of the u Public
Health Service and the Association of State Territorial
Health officers the following recommendations
Sewage Treatment for Small Population Groups:
a
program to develop effective methods
age from population groups in the range 50 500 per-
sons" \
This adopted but has devel
oped little that is in help cope this prob
em We firmly believe that the completely altered nature of
this envronmental health problem urgently calls
development of new methods for its solution
The State Department Health has developed draft of
stricer regulations for the sanitation subdivisions
This now under discussion by interested groups nd
duals and will be brought to the State Board of Health
Mental Hygiene for action when hearings and dis
cusslons of the proposals completed Montgomery
County has also recommended revision their subdivision
regulations to effect scer control conjunction with our
proposed draft giving serious consideration to the
recommendations made by the Montgomery County Health
officer in his to the Montgomery County
pect to chemical analysis is noted with satisfaction
most of our local recommendations for Improvements
already in process of being carried out.
Meanwhile is absolutely essential that the extension of
public water supplies and public sewage disposal systems into
suburban be pushed forward with all speed Without
such extension of public systems it is certain that
continue to experience again and again Incl
dents such as those in Montgomery County
While the ability of the Montgomery County Health De-
partment has been questioned would like reierate nv
confidence in the competency integrity the County
Health officer and his entire staff.
In conclusion it is hope that the high degree of in
terest and which has generated Montgomery
County will provide real help in increasing public under.
standing and acceptance of this problem the will
ngness to pay for the essential expanding metropolitan
be essential successful accomplishment all of the nee
essary environmenta controls which expanding popula
ton and revolution in scientific technology hrstng
upon US quotation from talk by DR.. Gaylord Ander-