How to Keep Billions of Gallons of Sewage Out of a Waterway

The Anacostia River Tunnel is just one component of DC Water's Clean River Project, but it's already making a huge difference.

1 minute read

July 16, 2018, 2:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


"Once known as 'DC’s Forgotten River,' the Anacostia is on track for a comeback. After failing its annual health check for more a decade due to years of underinvestment, the river finally recieved [sic] a passing grade of 63 or a "D" in June of this year, up from a score of 49 in 2017. It may even be fishable and swimmable by 2025," according to an article by Stephen Hudson.

"The Anacostia River Tunnel is one phase in DC Water’s Clean Rivers Project, which aims to drastically cut down on the pollution in the area’s waterways," adds Hudson. "The $2.6 billion project has been going on since the 1990s, and the completion of the Anacostia River Tunnel is a major milestone in returning the region’s rivers back to health."

Hudson reports on the scale and details of the new tunnel, as well as the expected benefits of the project. "Eventually, the new tunnel should reduce combined sewage overflows into the Anacostia by around 80%."

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