DC Water is installing temporary scaffolding at the Rock Creek Trail site, west of the Watergate Complex. Trail users are advised to adhere to flagger instructions during installation.

Scaffolding installation is expected to be completed by September 26, 2025, and will remain in place until mid-November 2025.

• The scaffolding dimensions are approximately 10 feet in height and extend about 11 feet in width.
• Some portions will include overhead protection to workers and trail users.
• This structure is designed with specific weight limits to ensure safety and will be clearly marked with fencing and signage.
• Rock Creek Trail will remain accessible

Project Details

DC Water is constructing the Potomac River Tunnel and support structures to capture combined sewer and stormwater overflows and redirect it to DC Water's Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant. The tunnel will begin operating in 2030. At the Capital Crescent Trail site location, DC Water is constructing an underground facility to connect to the existing sewer system and direct wastewater to the tunnel.

The project will reduce overflows polluting the Potomac River and, ultimately, Chesapeake Bay. The tunnel also ensures compliance with the 2005 Federal Consent Decree entered by DC Water, the District of Columbia, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the US Department of Justice, as amended in January 2016. The tunnel will reduce the volume of these overflows to the Potomac River by 93% and their frequency from approximately 74 events to four events in a year of average rainfall.

Learn more at dcwater.com/prt.

Contact Us

Project Email: dcpotomacrivertunnel@dcwater.com

Project Hotline: 202-972-1388

DC Water 24-hour Emergency: 202-612-3400