Environmental Sustainability
Protecting the Community
Every year, AlexRenew treats more than 13 billion gallons of wastewater for over 300,000 customers, adhering to some of the strictest standards in the country. These efforts help remove over 2,400 tons of nitrogen, 300 tons of phosphorus, and reduce bacteria to near zero levels, before safely returning cleaned water to the Potomac River.
AlexRenew maximizes the reuse of all available resources in our processes to create a sustainable operation that saves money and reduces greenhouse gases. Each year, our team reuses 1 billion gallons of treated wastewater in our operations, reducing our potable water demand by about 97 percent. Additionally, AlexRenew captures and uses methane from our digestion process to power our plant, offsetting 50 percent of our natural gas needs.
Award-Winning Stewardship
Some of the water industry's most influential organizations have recognized AlexRenew's efforts to sustainably manage its operations, minimize its energy usage, and reuse or recycle valuable resources. AlexRenew is dedicated to responsible practices in sustainability, and is proud of its role as a leader in outstanding environmental stewardship in the City of Alexandria.
Monitoring and Measuring Our Success
AlexRenew's onsite laboratory conducts approximately 24,000 analyses annually to ensure we are meeting or exceeding environmental regulatory compliance requirements.
AlexRenew's Environmental Management System (EMS) implements best management practices for pollution prevention, waste management, regulatory compliance, and hazard mitigation.
As a Sustainability Partner of Virginia's Environmental Excellence Program, AlexRenew continues to demonstrate our continued commitment to go above and beyond compliance and embrace pollution prevention in our day-to-day activities.
Environmental Anchor for the Community
AlexRenew serves as an environmental anchor for its community as well. The Environmental Center — AlexRenew's corporate office — is the first LEED Platinum building in Alexandria.
The building is equipped with about 420 solar panels that generate 13 percent of the building’s electricity. The office has an educational lobby and 6th floor conference space that is open to the public as well. On average, AlexRenew hosts 200 people per month. A popular soccer field located behind the facility sits atop a storage tank used during our wastewater treatment process