The National Park Service (NPS) has completed an Environmental Assessment for Alexandria Renew Enterprises’ (AlexRenew) proposed RiverRenew project. RiverRenew is a major infrastructure project that will prevent the discharge of millions of gallons of combined sewage to Alexandria’s waterways. Portions of the project are located on or below NPS lands that include Jones Point Park, George Washington Memorial Parkway and the bed of the Potomac River.
RiverRenew includes the construction of a tunnel system, sewer infrastructure and improvements to AlexRenew’s wastewater treatment plant. The proposed components will capture, transport and treat combined sewer discharges from Alexandria’s four existing combined sewer outfalls (001-004). The selected alternative from the EA includes the following main components:
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Outfall 001/2 System includes an approximately 11,500-foot long, 19-foot outside diameter tunnel located between 100-and 160-feet below ground. The tunnel will be largely aligned along Church Street and the Potomac River. To capture combined sewer discharges at Outfalls 001 and 002, diversion facilities will be constructed on the Robinson Terminal North site and just south of the Jones Point Park entrance at South Royal Street, respectively.
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Outfall 003/4 System includes an approximately 2,500-foot long, 6-foot diameter sewer located between 10- and 20-feet below ground. The sewer will be largely aligned along Hooffs Run between Duke Street and the Capital Beltway.
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Pumping Station, located at AlexRenew, includes a building and equipment to pump captured combined sewer flows through existing treatment processes at AlexRenew’s wastewater treatment plant.
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Wet Weather Treatment Facility will repurpose portions of AlexRenew’s existing wastewater treatment processes to disinfect captured combined sewer flows.
The NPS Acting Director, Region 1 - National Capital Area signed a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the RiverRenew Environmental Assessment (EA) on April 14, 2020. The FONSI and EA are available online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectID=83140.
AlexRenew is currently coordinating with NPS to obtain the necessary permits to allow RiverRenew construction activities to proceed within NPS administrative units. Additionally, AlexRenew is in the second step of its design-build procurement process with an anticipated construction start date of December 2020. Construction is expected to last through mid-2025.
AlexRenew and the NPS are committed to ongoing community engagement to minimize potential construction impacts. Advance notification will be provided to the community and visitors regarding any RiverRenew-related disruptions within Alexandria or NPS administrative units.
For more information about RiverRenew, visit https://riverrenew.com/.
Tags: george washington memorial parkway potomac river water quality fonsi environmental assessment
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
