Lawrence L. Brooks, Sr., 1983; Jesse L. Maury,
1983; David R. Scotton, 1983; Johanna S.
Norris, 1985.

Robert S. McGarry, General Manager
William S. Lindung, Secretary
Gamett C. Ball, Treasurer
Paul J. Hefferon, General Counsel

General Offices:
4017 Hamilton Street
Hyattsville 20781
Telephones: Customer Services 699-5600
General Offices 699-4000
24-Hour Emergency Service 699-4555

Engineering Department Offices
Arbitron Building
312 Marshall Avenue
Laurel 20707 Telephone: 441-4002

The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commis-
sion, the governing body of the Washington Sub-
urban Sanitary District, was created by Chapter
122, Acts of 1918. The Commission consists of
six members. Three are from Prince George's
County and three from Montgomery County,
appointed by the governing body of each county.

When the Commission was organized, the Dis-
trict's service area covered ninety-five square
miles: forty-one miles in Montgomery County
and fifty-four miles in Prince George's County.
The District had a population of 32,000 and a to-
tal assessable tax base of $20 million. In
succeeding years, the General Assembly has made
additions to the service area. The Washington
Suburban Sanitary District now contains about
1,000 square miles within Prince George's and
Montgomery counties adjacent to the District of
Columbia. The present Sanitary District has a
population of more than 1,200,000 and an assess-
able tax base of approximately $12 billion.

The Commission provides for the construction,
maintenance, and operation of water supply and
sewerage systems. Although it has jurisdiction
over storm drainage in Prince George's County
only, it regulates and inspects plumbing and gas
fitting installations in both counties. The Com-
mission has been designated as the organization
responsible for the administration, maintenance,
and operation of the Anacostia River Flood Con-
trol and Navigation Project. As of June 30, 1981,
the water system and sewerage system of the
Commission contained 3,622 and 3,586 miles of
mains, respectively.

Two major sources of water now supply the
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission sys-
tem: the Patuxent and the Potomac. The Com-
mission has impounded the Patuxent River by

Independent Agencies/411

construction of two dams near Brighton in Mont-
gomery County and Laurel in Prince George's
County. The Patuxent gives the Commission a
yield of up to sixty-five million gallons a day
through the Patuxent Filtration Plant. The Poto-
mac River supplies raw water to the Potomac
River Filtration Plant. This facility was opened in
1961 and has a capacity of almost 200 million
gallons a day. The Potomac River plant will be
expanded in stages as needed to meet bi-county
water supply requirements.

Much of the sewage from the Commission ser-
vice area is transported through trunk sewers into
the District of Columbia and is treated at the re-
gional Blue Plains Pollution Control Plant in
Washington, D.C. The Commission pays for this
service on a metered volume basis, and it also
contributes its share to capital improvement of
the Blue Plains facility. Sewage disposal plants
operated by the Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission are near Laurel, at Piscataway Bay,
and at the Western Branch of the Patuxent River.
The Commission also operates several smaller in-
terim wastewater plants.

Ten-Year Water and Sewer Plans for Mont-
gomery and Prince George's counties, formerly
drafted by the Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission, are now prepared by the respective
county governments. The Commission's annual
budget also is subject to joint approval by the
governing bodies of the two counties. The Com-
mission has the responsibility for setting customer
rates pertinent to Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission functions in its Suburban Maryland
service area (Code 1957, Art. 7).

WASHINGTON SUBURBAN TRANSIT
COMMISSION

Chairperson: Richard J. Castaldi, Prince George's
County

Vice-Chairperson: Lanny J. Davis, Montgomery
County

Commissioners from Montgomery County:
Cleatus E. Baraett, Carlton R. Sickles

Commissioners from Prince George's County:
Woodrow W. Miller

Ex officio commissioner: Lowell K. Bridwell, Sec-
retary of Transportation

Secretary-Treasurer: Gloria B. Fischer
Executive Secretary: Gloria B. Fischer

8720 Georgia Avenue, Suite 904
Silver Spring 20910 Telephone: 587-7270

The Washington Suburban Transit Commission
was created by Chapter 870, Acts of 1965. The