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Moxie's Learning Center

AlexRenew provides education and outreach to Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS), community groups, and individuals interested in learning about wastewater treatment and sustainable initiatives in our treatment process. Our outreach includes working with Alexandria residents to support community engagement and collective impact for a healthier watershed and local waterways.

What Happens to Our Wastewater?

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Ever wonder what happens to the water that goes down the drain in Alexandria? Well, after making it's way through the City's sewer system and into our interceptor pipes, it arrives at AlexRenew. Once flows reach our facility, they go through a series of screens to remove grit and large solids (like food and trash) that can damage our equipment. Flows are then transported into rectangular settling tanks for primary treatment and removal of suspended solids and fats, oils and grease. Afterwards, the flow goes to our Biological Reactor Basins (BRBs) for nutrient removal. While in the BRBs, flows are added to microorganisms, called activated sludge, for nitrogen removal. The water settles again and then we remove the phosphorous and filter out any remaining solids. Finally, flows are disinfected using ultraviolet (UV) light and returned safely to our waterways.

Educational Resources

Water Stewardship

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AlexRenew protects the public’s health while helping to restore the bounty of the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watershed. Since our beginnings in 1952, we’ve taken deliberate and focused action to help restore water quality and reduce nutrients entering the watershed. You see the results in our advanced water treatment facility, and our latest capital improvement projects.

STEM Lesson Plans

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Developed in partnership with Virginia American Water and with guidance from Alexandria City Public Schools, AlexRenew’s water-centric STEM lessons can be used to help support local watershed education for students and residents. Currently we have a number of supplementary lesson plans available for the 3rd and 6th grade curriculum.

Take a Tour

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Visit our Educational Lobby Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. to learn more about our wastewater treatment process, water distribution and flow throughout the city, and watershed conservation activities.

Please note, we are not currently providing in-person wastewater treatment plant tours due to the Waterfront Tunnel construction.

Moxie's Learning Center

Moxie's Coloring Fun: In the Community

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There are a lot of things to here on the AlexRenew wastewater treatment plan, so Moxie has many jobs. Sometimes she is out in the community of Alexandria, working hard to keep our waterways healthy.

Moxie's Science Word Search - Level: Easy

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Moxie loves working at AlexRenew because we protect rivers and streams from dirty water! Can you find ten of her favorite water-cleaning words in the puzzle below?

Moxie's Science Word Search - Level: Hard

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Moxie and her friends at AlexRenew use lots of equipment to test, treat, and transport the used water that comes through our plant. Can you find all of Moxie's treatment terms in the puzzle below? Words can be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal — but none of them are backward!

Want to learn more about AlexRenew's Waterfront Tunnel?

Check out Cloe's Corner!

In a high-tech factory thousands of miles away from Alexandria, the cutest member of the Waterfront Tunnel team was built. Her name is Cloe the Tunnel Boring Machine. She’s a special piece of equipment that can dig large tunnels underground, and she’s here to help AlexRenew make Alexandria’s rivers and streams healthier! Click here to visit Chloe's Corner.

Community Presentations

AlexRenew staff members are available for community presentations to student groups, businesses, community groups, civic associations and homeowners associations. Topics range from a basic overview of AlexRenew and wastewater treatment to infrastructure projects and environmental stewardship. To plan a presentation for your group, contact us at communications@alexrenew.com.