Like many older cities in the United States, Alexandria is served by both separate and combined sewer systems. The combined sewer system, largely located in the Old Town neighborhood, consists of a single pipe that carries both rainwater and sanitary sewage. During large storm events, the combined sewer system can overflow, discharging raw sewage to Alexandria’s waterways.

On July 1, 2026, AlexRenew completed RiverRenew, a once-in-a-generation environmental initiative designed to protect Alexandria’s waterways by preventing 120 million gallons of combined sewage from polluting the Potomac River, Hunting Creek, and Hooffs Run.

The map below shows real-time monitoring of the combined sewer outfalls. If an overflow event occurred in past 24 hours, the outfall indicator will turn red, otherwise it will remain green. Before swimming, wading, fishing, or boating near a combined sewer outfall, check the map for the latest information on activity. Please note: as we bring the system online, we may experience false notifications - please review email alerts for confirmation. 

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RiverRenew Benefits

The dashboard below tracks and highlights RiverRenew’s environmental and community benefits. Data is presented annually (January – December) and is updated monthly, with the first update occurring in early August 2026. 

Click to see full-screen dashboard