WATER AND WATERFRONTS 145 



The obvious meaning of this trend is that the Congress, and the 

 people, are not yet satisfied with the attack that has been mounted 

 so far against water pollution. Every sign points to greater Federal 

 participation. 



I believe that the single most important fact before us is that our 

 present technology-cost posture leaves us incapable of coping ade- 

 quately with the total pollution problem as it is now developing and 

 as it seems likely to develop in the future decade. 



The alternatives before us, then, are first to place into effect, as 

 rapidly as we can, our known technology of sewage and industrial 

 waste treatment; and second to establish immediately a new and 

 vigorous research and development program to seek a new waste 

 treatment technology or significantiy improve our existing tech- 

 nology. 



I believe that our immediate task during the next five to ten years, 

 must be to adopt a simple and uncomplicated process for upgrading 

 our treatment capability to the level of secondary waste treatment 

 the removal of nearly all settleable solids, oils and grease, and a major 

 fraction (85-90 percent) of oxygen-consuming organic materials. 



Secondary waste treatment is commonplace today in municipal 

 waste treatment systems. Today, more than 70 percent of treatment 

 works are of the secondary treatment type, involving 60 percent of 

 the urban population provided with treatment works. 



The Federal Government, too, is moving rapidly in some areas to 

 bring about the construction of secondary waste treatment works. 

 The 1961 amendments to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, 

 for example, provide that water can be stored in Federal reservoirs 

 and used to dilute sewage and wastes, but only after "adequate 

 treatment" has been provided at the source of pollution. Public 

 Health Service policy is to define "adequate treatment" as 85 per- 

 cent removal of organic material and essentially all settleable solids, 

 or secondary treatment. 



In another action the Federal Government is developing instruc- 

 tions for the control of sewage and wastes from 18,000 Federal in- 

 stallations. The general rule will require that secondary treatment 

 be provided unless it can be demonstrated that less treatment will 

 suffice. 



It is my suggestion, therefore, that the Congress consider the es- 

 tablishment of a positive national policy, either in a resolution or as 

 an amendment to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, which 



