but the need for this renovation and expansion becomes even more
apparent when one realized that, during the next three and a half
decades, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission's service area
will include a population in excess of 2, 000, 000.
With these figures in mind, I am sure you can well imagine how de-
lighted I was to learn that this building, like all major W. S. S. C. facilities,
is constructed so that it can be expanded in the future. This fact, alone,
is but a manifestation of the Commission's willingness to continue to
efficiently furnish to the residents of this bi-county region adequate
sewer and water services. It also is comforting for me to know that the
1, 600 persons who staff the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
will have pleasant surroundings and the modern office tools that are so
necessary to the maintenance of personnel morale and good public service.
The work that is to be done in this building undoubtedly will contribute
to the establishment of many new utility production records in the years
ahead. Nevertheless, it is worth pointing out some of the strides that
have been made by this agency in the past. Last year, for example, the
WSSC maintained more than 300, 000 water and sewer services in sub-
urban Montgomery and Prince George's Counties and the Commission's
customers were hooked to a water and sewer system that includes enough
water mains to stretch from here to Paris and part way back.
As a pioneer in regional water-sewer agency development, the Wash-
ington Suburban Sanitary Commission has made important contribu-
tions to the concepts of long range planning and technical advancement
in the field of area-wide utility growth. The work of the WSSC has paid
dividends by providing a quality water supply for this rapidly growing
community and in helping to solve the sewage pollution problem which
has become a major threat to so many areas in recent years.
In closing, I would like to take just a moment to congratulate not only
Commission members but also the architects of this expanded facility for
designing a building that so nicely complements its surroundings. Hav-
ing been afforded the privilege by the people of this State of residing in
Annapolis for the past six years, I can understand the importance of
designing an edifice that is more than functional. Not only by its utility
but, also, by its beauty, this building is assured a place as an important
community asset for the city of Hyattsville and the counties of Prince
George's and Montgomery.
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