Celebrating National Water Quality Month: RiverRenew captures 27 million gallons of combined sewage in July
The combined sewer overflow (CSO) project managed by AlexRenew officially became operational on June 29, 2026. Completed in just eight years—roughly half the time typically required for projects of comparable scale—it stands as the largest infrastructure investment in Alexandria’s history. In its first month of service, the system has already prevented 27 million gallons of combined sewage from polluting the Potomac River and its tributaries. In the process, the system also captured approximately 2 tons of trash and debris that would have otherwise ended up in the Commonwealth’s waterways. During the largest storm of the month on July 21st, 2.08 inches of rain fell and combined sewage from Old Town Alexandria filled the tunnel to 89%. Despite the heavy rain (rated as a five-year storm), AlexRenew treated all combined sewage and there were no overflows into the Potomac River.
National Water Quality Month, celebrated in August, honors the Clean Water Act of 1972, the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1974, and ongoing efforts to protect our limited fresh water supply. Since their passage, the wastewater treatment industry has played an essential role in improving water quality in our region, and AlexRenew, has helped protect public health and Alexandria’s waterways since first turning on its pumps in 1956. With RiverRenew now fully operational, we mark an important milestone that reflects both the strength of the engineering behind the project and its immediate, measurable impact on protecting regional water quality.