DC Water delivers a cleaner Anacostia River by opening first leg of massive tunnel system

$1.6 billion investment of total $2.7 billion program for healthier District waterways

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Mar 28, 2018, 06:08 ET

WASHINGTON, March 28, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) commissioned its 7-mile-long tunnel segment that will substantially reduce combined sewer overflows to the Anacostia River, dramatically improving the river's health. The tunnel system will capture and hold up to 100 million gallons of combined sewage in heavy rainfalls and deliver it to the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant for treatment. Today's commissioning is ahead of the deadline outlined in a 2005 consent decree with the US Environmental Protection Agency, US Department of Justice and the District of Columbia.

The sky above, as seen from 110 feet below. DC Water’s massive tunnel system now reduces combined sewer overflows to the Anacostia River by 80%.

Today DC Water and the District celebrate a cleaner Anacostia River (in the background).

Inside the Anacostia River Tunnel during construction.

DC Water Board Chairman and Director of the Department of Energy and Environment Tommy Wells said, "It has been my job, as well as my passion, to improve and protect the Anacostia River. I crafted The Anacostia River Clean Up and Protection Act of 2009 to do just that. This project brings immense improvements to the District in terms of healthier waterways which will lead to a more vibrant waterfront and opportunities for recreation on the Anacostia."

DC Water Interim CEO and General Manager Henderson J. Brown, IV added, "I want to thank everyone who has contributed to this milestone, from our engineers to our elected officials to our ratepayers. The significant protective measures we put in place today, and those still to come, would not be possible without the commitment of this entire community."

The construction of this tunnel portion began in 2013. It is 7 miles long and has a 23-foot inside diameter. Combined with the new 225 million-gallon-per-day Wet Weather Treatment Facility at Blue Plains, this tunnel portion will reduce combined sewer overflows by more than 80 percent. Mining for the next tunnel segment, the Northeast Boundary Tunnel, will soon be underway and is scheduled for completion in 2023. The complete Anacostia Tunnel System will capture 98 percent of sewage overflows to the Anacostia. It will also provide more flooding relief for residents in the Bloomingdale and LeDroit Park neighborhoods.

For more information on the Clean Rivers Project, please visit dcwater.com/cleanrivers
For more information on today's event, please visit dcwater.com/ART