History

Roberts Filter Manufacturing Company

company · active 1937

Subcontractor on Ocean City's sewage treatment plant. The Maryland State Board of Health stipulated that Roberts 'design and submit for approval certain mecanical equiptment to prevent the backing up of sewerage into the city water lines' — a requirement the town's council recorded on 26 April 1937 as one of the two reasons the plant ran eight months late.

In the record (1)

  1. 1937 · 1937-04-26

    The sewage plant ran eight months late because the contractor could not get cinders and brick, and because the Board of Health made him keep sewage out of the water mains

    A typed resolution of 26 April 1937 sets out the whole history of the delay in the contractor's favour. 'M. J. McDermott under contract NO.2 started work on August 26th 1936 Docket Md.1065-2R Sewerage Treatment Plant and on Jan 4th 1937 time extended to April 26th 1937.' Two reasons are given for a further extension: '#1 Inability to obtain certain materials to meet specifications (cinders, brick, etc.)'; and '#2 - It became necessary, because of stipulation by the State Board of Health, to have the Roberts Filter Mfg. Co., Sub Contractor, design and submit for approval certain mechanical equipment to prevent the backing up of sewerage into the city water lines.' The council extended the time to 26 May 1937 and 'waive[d] the liquidated damages specified in said contract relative to failure to complete the work in time', directing that 'the State Director be advised of this action'. It was signed by Mayor W. Thomas Elliott, by William H. Scott as President of the City Council, and certified by J. M. Mumford.

    A resort that had just voted 104 to 1 to put sewers in the sand was, eighteen months later, still waiting on a delivery of cinders - and on a Philadelphia filter company to invent a way of stopping the sewage getting into the drinking water.

    M. J. McDermottMaryland State Board of HealthFederal Emergency Administration of Public WorksM. J. McDermottW. Thomas ElliottWilliam H. ScottJohn M. Mumford

    Source · checked 2026-08-11