Sanitation and Water Disposal Sites

A combination waterworks/sewer construction project in Kermit, West Virginia was undertaken with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $48,000 loan and $16,992 grant toward the $64,274 eventual total cost of the project. Work occurred between Oct. 1934 and May 1935. PWA Docket No. 5549

A waterworks and sewer construction project in Matewan, West Virginia was undertaken with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $42,000 loan and $12,866 grant toward the $54,523 eventual total cost of the project. Work occurred between Jan. and Oct. 1935. PWA Docket No. 7043

A large waterworks and sewer construction project in Vienna, West Virginia was undertaken with the aid of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds. The PWA supplied a $135,000 loan and $105,973 grant toward the $235,815 eventual total cost of the project. Work occurred between Mar. and Dec. 1936. PWA Docket No. W Va. 1020-R

The federal Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) conducted drainage work along Waushakum Ave. in 1935.

Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) workers constructed a large storm sewer in Belmont, Massachusetts. From a W.P.A. Bulletin: Sixty inch pipe is being laid on the Belmont WPA Wellington Brook Sewer Project. This storm sewer will run 510 feet from Waverly Town Yard to Waverly Street.

Fort Lee, New Jersey received a modern sewer system during the Great Depression with the assistance of federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) labor. Fort Lee's Palisadian newspaper wrote: For many years has been without the benefit of a sewer system. Often the overflowing of cesspools has created a condition that was not only very unpleasant but to health. The officials have been cognizant of the bad condition for a number of years but because of Fort Lee's sorry financial plight were unable to provide a remedy. A majority of the property owners effected were in no position to shoulder an...

"A Seattle sewer project, at West Prospect and Van Buren was allotted $1,140" in WPA funds in late 1937.

Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) workers constructed sewers in West Roxbury, Boston, Massachusetts. From a W.P.A. Bulletin: Keeping pace with the development of Rendal Road and Weld Street district, in West Roxbury, WPA constructed 1200 feet of sewer and pipe drains. Throughout Boston, WPA has laid more than 21 miles of sewer pipe to date.

Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) labor conducted sewer and drainage work in Fall River, Massachusetts. WPA Bulletin: Inadequate drainage resulting in flooded conditions about Bedford and Stinzo Streets. Fall River, will be remedied with the replacement of this new WPA White Brook drain from Bedford Street to Quequchan River. This area has been heavily redeveloped since the Depression era.

Between 1935 and 1937, a six-mile long sewer tunnel was constructed between the Los Angeles County Sanitation District's former Joint Disposal Plant in Carson, CA, and an ocean outfall at White Point on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The project received funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA). According to an October 1933 article in the Los Angeles Illustrated Daily News: "Definite action toward construction of a main outfall sewer, generally known as the White Point outfall project, to drain the district south of Los Angeles, was taken yesterday when an application for $2,820,000 was filed with the state advisory board of...

Below are scenes from the PWA construction of this sewer system.

Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) rebuilt Williams St. in Pittsfield, Mass. WPA Bulletin: William Street, Pittsfield, a direct route from Pittsfield center to the Washington Mountain Road is being widened and reconstructed by WPA. Work includes filling, grading, oiling, building catch basins and a culvert and general repairs to a mile of roadway.  

The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) undertook improvement work along Winter Steet in Framingham, Mass., including culvert construction and the building of a bridge over the Sudbury River in 1939. Living New Deal believes the bridge to be largely intact and still in service.

"Winters also got $10,000 in 1933 for curbs/gutters, for a water system upgrade, and for rural conservation and irrigation improvements; the WPA in 1940 also helped clean up the towns creek after flooding."

Behind the Rio Medina Store in Rio Medina, Texas is a wooden Works Progress Administration (WPA) outhouse. The base of the structure is marked.

This Works Progress Administration outhouse was relocated to the county historical society property. It was built in a shop, moved to the original site, and installed by WPA. WPA programs like the Indiana Community Sanitation Program directly affected an astounding number of people. WPA built 125,791 outhouses for the state of Indiana (paying $4 million in wages) and more than 2 million nationwide.

Referencing the WPA, an article in the Dec. 25, 1936 issue of Sayville’s Suffolk County News stated: “Various projects have been completed … and other projects, such as the storm sewer job on Greene avenue and Main street, Sayville, are now in progress.” Such previous work was completed "on Edwards street and Erwin street ... and in the vicinity of those streets," a project for which $24,765.12 was allocated.

One of many WPA and PWA projects in Washington state: "Constructed to stop the degradation of the Yakima river and adjacent tributaries due to contaminated return flows." (https://depts.washington.edu)

The Civilian Conservation Corp’s (CCC) work at Yellowstone National Park was extensive and lasted for the entirety of the CCC program, 1933-1942.  Projects included water and sewer line installation, landscaping, tree planting, the construction of fire lookouts and weather stations, firefighting and fire prevention, trail maintenance, museum assistance, snow removal, campground development, building amphitheatres, and the “Construction of buildings ranging from many of those at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch to the residences in Lower Mammoth, sheds and utility buildings throughout the park’s developed areas” (Manns, 1981). There were six main CCC camps in Yellowstone: Mammoth Camp (YNP-1), Canyon Camp (YNP-2), Lake...

In 1940, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) installed sewers on Young Street, Pennsylvania Avenue, and Fairlawn Avenue in the district's southeast quadrant. The precise location is unknown, but these are probably storm sewers installed that connect to the outfall visible just downstream of the Anacostia Recreation Center. This work was part of a massive New Deal era program for Washington of sewer construction, separation of sanitary and storm sewers, and sewage treatment at the new Blue Plains facility in order to clean up the badly polluted Anacostia and Potomac Rivers.

The WPA built walks, curbs and gutters in Zamora. Cement sidewalks were laid from Union School north to US 99 and east around the block of homes.