To improve the health of the District’s waterways, DC WASA is implementing a large-scale, long-term plan for reducing overflows from the District’s combined sewer system into local waterways. An important part of the plan is elimination of several CSO outfalls, the discharge points for combined sewer overflows. Instead, the outfalls will be for storm water only. DC WASA is beginning work in mid-August to eliminate CSOs to outfall 006 in Anacostia.

Homeowners and businesses in designated areas located in Anacostia with combined sewer and storm water pipes are encouraged to separate their combined pipe into two separate pipes. DC WASA will perform the separation at no charge. DC WASA’s Clean River Action Teams are currently performing site evaluations with individual property owners in the affected areas to determine whether the roof and yard drainage is connected to the combined sewer. The team is available for site visits by day, at night and even on weekends. Appointments take about 90 minutes and can be scheduled by calling the hotline at: 202.244.1200.

The separations and infrastructure improvements for this project will take place within boundaries from Good Hope Road, S.E. to W Street, S.E. and from Shannon Place, S.E. to 13th Street, S.E. Part of the project includes separation of roof drain pipes that run across public and private property where owners agree to participate. At the same time, DC WASA will also replace aging water main pipes and remove lead service pipe in public space and on private property, where the property owner has agreed to participate. Work is expected to begin in mid-August and continue through spring 2010.

DC WASA General Manager Jerry N. Johnson, commented on the project, “Sewer separation is part of DC WASA’s Long Term Control Plan, our largest capital project and one that will benefit the region. The project’s goals are to improve the quality of life for the community, produce a positive impact on the environment and support future development. When the full plan is implemented, by year 2025, we should reduce CSOs in the Potomac and Anacostia rivers and Rock Creek by 96 percent overall, and by 98 percent in the Anacostia River. Of the three waterways, DC WASA selected the Anacostia first since it is a slower-moving waterway that accumulates pollutants and is the most impaired.”

For this project, most work will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Water service interruptions will be kept to a minimum lasting normally between two and four hours. WASA contractors will work to minimize customers’ inconvenience during the project. Residents will be notified at least 48 hours in advance of water service interruption.

By way of background, most of the District has a sewer system composed of one pipe for carrying wastewater from homes to the treatment plant and another pipe that carries storm water runoff to area waterways. But about a third of the District, where the earliest sewer systems were constructed, is served by a single pipe that carries both wastewater and storm water runoff.

During dry weather, the wastewater flows to the Blue Plains treatment plant. During rain events, both the storm water and wastewater from the Anacostia area flow in the same pipe which is not big enough to handle the flows of very large rainstorms. Rather than have the combined water back up into homes and streets, the combined sewer system was designed to convey the mixture to the Anacostia River. This is called a combined sewer overflow event, or CSO. Though it is diluted by storm water, it is important this mixture not enter the river. The Anacostia Combined Sewer Separation Project CSO 006 will add new pipes that separate the flow of storm water and wastewater.

Additional public meetings for more information will also be scheduled in the near future. For further inquiries, please contact cleanriver@dcwasa.com or call the Construction Manager at 202-244-1200.

###