by Neil Richard
In previous articles covering the history of the Service Authority, Part 1 covered 1948 to 1959 and Part 2 covered 1960 to 1964.
Beginning in 1965, the State took notice of the pollution in the County. In March, the State Water Control Board condemned Williams Creek and Machodoc Creek to prevent shellfish harvesting. In April, they said it was not due to the most recent residential developments. Despite this claim, in May the State Water Control Board approved 100 homes and the Willow Oaks Apartments to flow their treated waste into Williams Creek. Also in May, the development called Cloverdale changed its name to Bayberry.
An engineering firm, Russell and Axon, presented a study that showed a need for a central water and sewer system. D. M. Martin, an engineer for the firm, presented a petition signed by 75 voters in support of a Dahlgren Sanitary District. The Board of Supervisors passed a resolution asking Circuit Court Judge S. Bernard Coleman for a bond referendum to create the Dahlgren Sanitary District. On April 20, 1965, the Circuit Court finally created the Dahlgren Sanitary District.
July saw sewer problems at King George High School and Lawrence Roller, the school Superintendent, asked for a single lagoon to solve the problem. He requested five acres at Arnold's Corner for the lagoon. That same month, local meetings were held with the Sanitary District Committee, the Dahlgren Civic Association, Sydnor Pump and Well Company, various health officials, consulting engineers, and interested residents. The purpose was to discuss the Dahlgren Sanitary District.
By the end of July 1965, 220 of the 228 qualified voters within the Dahlgren Sanitary District voted to approve a $700,000 bond by a vote of 132 for and 88 against. Along with the voters, Supervisor Woody Saft also approved the measure. It was noted that only those residents living within the Sanitary District would pay the tax.
Moving into to 1966 we begin to see disagreements and issues with how the newly formed Dahlgren Sanitary District operated and what the water and sewer system requirements should be. These disagreements sparked meetings in Richmond with Deward Martin and Jeule Elliot, both consulting engineers, legal advisor Alfred Garnett, Wilma Pounds of the State Water Control Board, Supervisor Woody Saft, and even Senator Paul W. Manns.
In late 1966, the Stafford Well and Pump Company was authorized to operate the water and sewer system in Bayberry Estates. Douglas and Dickinson, Inc. of Warsaw was approved to install a water system in Ninde that couldn't exceed 80 connections.
1967 brought more progress, and strife, to the budding Dahlgren Sanitary District. In March, the Board of Supervisors approved the tentative terms from the Farmers Home Administration (FHA) to clear the way for a a $55,000 bond for the Dahlgren Sanitary District water and sewer system. The bonds sold at 4.5% interest and would be payable in 34 years. This was much less than the $700,000 approved by residents but the consulting engineer, Deward M. Martin, said this was the most that could be obtained from FHA. $84,000 in Federal grants had already been approved. Martin also said that money could be saved by using a two-stage lagoon instead of a treatment plant as well as by using ten inch pipe instead of twelve inch pipe. Martin recommended using the existing wells instead of elevated storage tanks but that the tanks could be added within two years. Martin also said the fire hydrants could be added in the future. Supervisor Woody Saft didn't like Martin's ideas.
In April of 1967, the Board of Supervisors approved the advertisement of bids for the water and sewer system in the Dahlgren Sanitary District. The bids came back in May. Of the eight sealed bids submitted, the lowest was $649,653.43. Once again, reports said that Supervisor Woody Saft was not happy. Later that month, the Supervisors approved the following contracts:
Water systems
The total for all contracts was $527,808.58. The Supervisors also included $113,000 to purchase land, purchase the existing Sydnor well system, pay legal and engineering fees, and highway inspection fees. This brought the total cost of the project to $651,000 with a recommended safety cushion of $20,000.
Deward Martin again contributed his opinion by saying that even though the FHA loan was guaranteed for $550,000, he had been assured by the FHA that it can go up to $600,000. The State Water Control Board, via the Water Pollution Control Administration, also gave a grant for $71,000. It was also noted that there was an attempt to sell the $700,000 bond in 1965 but the National bond market took it's worst drop in twenty years and it never sold. It was also stated that the County applied for funds from Housing and Urban Development (HUD) but was denied.
The State Water Control Board and Donald Zepp, State Game Warden, tested the water in Machodoc Creek in July 1967 and found it to be too salty for large mouth bass eggs, frys, and fingerlings to survive. That same month, Dahlgren resident Howard Yarus, Supervisor Woody Saft, attorney A. W. Garnett, and engineer Deward Martin went to Richmond in an attempt to get the State Water Control Board to approve moving the stabilizing lagoons in Dahlgren.
In August 1967, the Dahlgren Sanitary District installed their first water lines from Ferry Dock Road north along Potomac Drive. They also installed lines on Forest Road, 15th Street, Gordan Drive, 14th Street, and South Williams Creek Drive. The Dahlgren Sanitary District elevated tank had a 75,000 gallon capacity. Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas R. Quesenberry deeded over 6.89 acres to Dahlgren Sanitary District.
By September 1967, the Dahlgren Sanitary District purchased the Sydnor water system and authorized Supervisor Woody Saft to act as agent to make the Dahlgren Sanitary District system operational. A few months later, the Supervisors placed a Want Ad for a full-time agent.
To close out 1967, the Dahlgren Sanitary District acquired land from Mrs. Rose Q. Payne (0.228 acres), Mr. and Mrs. Clifford C. Reed (0.425 acres), and Willow Oaks, Inc. (1 acre). The residents of Bayberry Estates began complaining about cloudy water. The Board of Supervisors approved water systems at Panorama Woods, located between Comorn and Fairview Beach.
In February 1968, Otis L. Zirkle is hired as an agent for the Dahlgren Sanitary District at a pay rate of $5,000 per year. In March, the Board of Supervisors approved renting a building for Zirkle to operate out of for $20 a month. The Supervisors also approved the purchase of office equipment and supplies for Zirkle for $304.50.
The Board of Supervisors instructed the County Clerk, V. Elwood Mason, to write to the owner of the Bayberry Estates development and contractor John T. Ellington. The Supervisors wanted to know what Ellington planned to do to fix the water issues in Bayberry as the state water test results said the water was not drinkable.
Closing out 1969, the Supervisors amended the Dahlgren Sanitary District operating ordinances to allow 45 days, instead of the previous 30 days, before a penalty was imposed for any unpaid bills.
In previous articles covering the history of the Service Authority, Part 1 covered 1948 to 1959 and Part 2 covered 1960 to 1964.
Beginning in 1965, the State took notice of the pollution in the County. In March, the State Water Control Board condemned Williams Creek and Machodoc Creek to prevent shellfish harvesting. In April, they said it was not due to the most recent residential developments. Despite this claim, in May the State Water Control Board approved 100 homes and the Willow Oaks Apartments to flow their treated waste into Williams Creek. Also in May, the development called Cloverdale changed its name to Bayberry.
 |
| June 24, 1965 - Bayberry Estates |
An engineering firm, Russell and Axon, presented a study that showed a need for a central water and sewer system. D. M. Martin, an engineer for the firm, presented a petition signed by 75 voters in support of a Dahlgren Sanitary District. The Board of Supervisors passed a resolution asking Circuit Court Judge S. Bernard Coleman for a bond referendum to create the Dahlgren Sanitary District. On April 20, 1965, the Circuit Court finally created the Dahlgren Sanitary District.
July saw sewer problems at King George High School and Lawrence Roller, the school Superintendent, asked for a single lagoon to solve the problem. He requested five acres at Arnold's Corner for the lagoon. That same month, local meetings were held with the Sanitary District Committee, the Dahlgren Civic Association, Sydnor Pump and Well Company, various health officials, consulting engineers, and interested residents. The purpose was to discuss the Dahlgren Sanitary District.
By the end of July 1965, 220 of the 228 qualified voters within the Dahlgren Sanitary District voted to approve a $700,000 bond by a vote of 132 for and 88 against. Along with the voters, Supervisor Woody Saft also approved the measure. It was noted that only those residents living within the Sanitary District would pay the tax.
Moving into to 1966 we begin to see disagreements and issues with how the newly formed Dahlgren Sanitary District operated and what the water and sewer system requirements should be. These disagreements sparked meetings in Richmond with Deward Martin and Jeule Elliot, both consulting engineers, legal advisor Alfred Garnett, Wilma Pounds of the State Water Control Board, Supervisor Woody Saft, and even Senator Paul W. Manns.
In late 1966, the Stafford Well and Pump Company was authorized to operate the water and sewer system in Bayberry Estates. Douglas and Dickinson, Inc. of Warsaw was approved to install a water system in Ninde that couldn't exceed 80 connections.
1967 brought more progress, and strife, to the budding Dahlgren Sanitary District. In March, the Board of Supervisors approved the tentative terms from the Farmers Home Administration (FHA) to clear the way for a a $55,000 bond for the Dahlgren Sanitary District water and sewer system. The bonds sold at 4.5% interest and would be payable in 34 years. This was much less than the $700,000 approved by residents but the consulting engineer, Deward M. Martin, said this was the most that could be obtained from FHA. $84,000 in Federal grants had already been approved. Martin also said that money could be saved by using a two-stage lagoon instead of a treatment plant as well as by using ten inch pipe instead of twelve inch pipe. Martin recommended using the existing wells instead of elevated storage tanks but that the tanks could be added within two years. Martin also said the fire hydrants could be added in the future. Supervisor Woody Saft didn't like Martin's ideas.
In April of 1967, the Board of Supervisors approved the advertisement of bids for the water and sewer system in the Dahlgren Sanitary District. The bids came back in May. Of the eight sealed bids submitted, the lowest was $649,653.43. Once again, reports said that Supervisor Woody Saft was not happy. Later that month, the Supervisors approved the following contracts:
Water systems
- Section I - G. L. Howard, Inc. - $112,350.90
- Section II - Elevated water tank - Pittsburgh-Des Moines Steel Company - $38,300
- Section I - Gravity systems - T. A. Loving Company - $218,350.90
- Section II - Sewage Force Mains - Halifax Builders, Inc. - $28,154.88
- Section III - Sewage lift stations - Halifax Builders, Inc. - $72,900
- Section IV - Sewage Treatment Lagoons - Moore, Kelly & Reddish - $58,000
The total for all contracts was $527,808.58. The Supervisors also included $113,000 to purchase land, purchase the existing Sydnor well system, pay legal and engineering fees, and highway inspection fees. This brought the total cost of the project to $651,000 with a recommended safety cushion of $20,000.
Deward Martin again contributed his opinion by saying that even though the FHA loan was guaranteed for $550,000, he had been assured by the FHA that it can go up to $600,000. The State Water Control Board, via the Water Pollution Control Administration, also gave a grant for $71,000. It was also noted that there was an attempt to sell the $700,000 bond in 1965 but the National bond market took it's worst drop in twenty years and it never sold. It was also stated that the County applied for funds from Housing and Urban Development (HUD) but was denied.
The State Water Control Board and Donald Zepp, State Game Warden, tested the water in Machodoc Creek in July 1967 and found it to be too salty for large mouth bass eggs, frys, and fingerlings to survive. That same month, Dahlgren resident Howard Yarus, Supervisor Woody Saft, attorney A. W. Garnett, and engineer Deward Martin went to Richmond in an attempt to get the State Water Control Board to approve moving the stabilizing lagoons in Dahlgren.
In August 1967, the Dahlgren Sanitary District installed their first water lines from Ferry Dock Road north along Potomac Drive. They also installed lines on Forest Road, 15th Street, Gordan Drive, 14th Street, and South Williams Creek Drive. The Dahlgren Sanitary District elevated tank had a 75,000 gallon capacity. Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas R. Quesenberry deeded over 6.89 acres to Dahlgren Sanitary District.
By September 1967, the Dahlgren Sanitary District purchased the Sydnor water system and authorized Supervisor Woody Saft to act as agent to make the Dahlgren Sanitary District system operational. A few months later, the Supervisors placed a Want Ad for a full-time agent.
To close out 1967, the Dahlgren Sanitary District acquired land from Mrs. Rose Q. Payne (0.228 acres), Mr. and Mrs. Clifford C. Reed (0.425 acres), and Willow Oaks, Inc. (1 acre). The residents of Bayberry Estates began complaining about cloudy water. The Board of Supervisors approved water systems at Panorama Woods, located between Comorn and Fairview Beach.
In February 1968, Otis L. Zirkle is hired as an agent for the Dahlgren Sanitary District at a pay rate of $5,000 per year. In March, the Board of Supervisors approved renting a building for Zirkle to operate out of for $20 a month. The Supervisors also approved the purchase of office equipment and supplies for Zirkle for $304.50.
The Board of Supervisors instructed the County Clerk, V. Elwood Mason, to write to the owner of the Bayberry Estates development and contractor John T. Ellington. The Supervisors wanted to know what Ellington planned to do to fix the water issues in Bayberry as the state water test results said the water was not drinkable.
Closing out 1969, the Supervisors amended the Dahlgren Sanitary District operating ordinances to allow 45 days, instead of the previous 30 days, before a penalty was imposed for any unpaid bills.
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