Image courtesy of AlexRenew
While the cleanliness of our local waterways has significantly improved over the past couple of decades, there is still work to be done. In 2017, Virginia adopted a law which requires jurisdictions that feed into the Chesapeake Bay to significantly reduce runoff pollution into the Bay by 2025.
Alexandria is one of the hundreds of cities nationwide with a combined sewer system, and the RiverRenew project is designed to significantly reduce the pollution such a system can cause. The Environmental Protection Agency explains it this way:
"Combined sewer systems are sewers that are designed to collect rainwater runoff, domestic sewage, and industrial wastewater in the same pipe. Most of the time, combined sewer systems transport all of their wastewater to a sewage treatment plant, where it is treated and then discharged to a water body. During periods of heavy rainfall or snowmelt, however, the wastewater volume in a combined sewer system can exceed the capacity of the sewer system or treatment plant. For this reason, combined sewer systems are designed to overflow occasionally and discharge excess wastewater directly to nearby streams, rivers, or other water bodies."
The project AlexRenew is undertaking now means reducing the millions of gallons of rainwater mixed with sewage that sometimes pollutes Alexandria’s waterways via four outfalls located around the City. These outfalls are at the eastern end of Pendleton Street, the southern end of Royal street, and two along Hooffs Run.
Image courtesy of AlexRenew
In 2018, the City of Alexandria transferred the ownership of the four outfalls and the RiverRenew project to AlexRenew. Since then, AlexRenew has been making preparations for a $615 million dollar project that includes tunnels and new pumping stations.
One of the most recent and most visible of the preparations for the project was the demolition of Robinson Terminal North in November of last year.
At a public meeting on Feb. 25, AlexRenew provided more details on RiverRenew – what it is and what its impact on the City will be. The tunnel project is made up of the following components, according to the presentation:
- a 2-mile-long, 12-foot-wide Waterfront Tunnel approximately 100 feet below ground;
- diversion facilities to direct 130 million gallons of combined sewage into the tunnel system;
- a half-mile-long, six-foot-wide Hooffs Run Interceptor;
- pumping stations housed in two large shafts;
- superstructure to house pumping station equipment.
Image courtesy of AlexRenew
The Waterfront Tunnel will run along the Potomac River from outfall one, at the end of Pendleton Street, through outfall two, at the end of Royal Street where it will continue to the AlexRenew wastewater treatment plant in the Eisenhower area. It will be created using a special German tunnel boring machine and will cause very little surface interruption, except for the diversion facilities at Robinson’s Landing North and the end of Royal Street.
The Hooffs Run Interceptor will be an open cut pipeline running from Duke Street to the Eisenhower Circle. It will run adjacent to the current Hooffs Run waterway.
AlexRenew received a $25 million grant for the project and is seeking additional funding through the Virginia General Assembly in order to minimize rate impacts on residents. The project also received low interest rate loans from the EPA’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation (WIFIA) Act and the Virginia Clean Water Revolving Loan Fund (VCWRLF).
A common question from the public was whether or not RiverRenew project will help with stormwater flooding, particularly along Union Street. RiverRenew Program Advisor Justin Carl was quick to clarify that RiverRenew is a water quality project not a stormwater management project.
AlexRenew also introduced Traylor-Shea, the design-build team for the RiverRenew project. They will be supported by Jacobs Engineering and Corman Kokosing Construction Co. Traylor and Jacobs have a long history of working together, including locally on the Blue Plains Tunnel in Washington, DC. Because Traylor is based in Alexandria and Shea is based in Washington DC, more than 90 percent of the work will be conducted by local firms.
“It’s not often one can work on a project in one’s hometown,” said Mike Krulc, the Traylor-Shea Project Director for the tunnel project. Krulc is a resident of the Rosemont area and has an office on King Street. Many of the other project leaders shared their own connections to the area and their enthusiasm for keeping the public a part of the project, with the ultimate goal of creating cleaner water for everyone.
Image courtesy of AlexRenew
AlexRenew spoke about the four construction staging areas that were created as part of the project. One is at the site of the former Robinson Landing North. Another is at the end of Royal Street near Jones’ Point Park. A number of trees were cleared at the Royal Street site this winter. The third staging area is around the AlexRenew facility and a lot off of Holland Lane. Finally, the area around Hooffs Run is also a staging area, which also required some tree removal.
Each construction staging area will be fenced, secured and monitored for air quality to minimize impacts on nearby residents. Construction hours are 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. These hours will be adjusted at the Royal Street site to accommodate drop-off/pick-up at St. Mary’s School.
Once the RiverRenew project is complete, all sites will be restored and replanted. The project is expected to have significant positive impacts on the City.
“RiverRenew will improve water quality, enhance public spaces, and connect the community to our waterways,” according to AlexRenew’s presentation.
Find out more and watch a recording of the meeting here.
Also, check out our 2019 interview with AlexRenew CEO Karen Pallansch here.
