We can all make a difference to protect the sewer system. Sanitary sewer systems and wastewater treatment facilities are designed to collect and treat dirty water that has been used for toilet flushing, bathing and showering, washing clothes and dishes and other normal residential, business and institutional purposes. However, when certain items enter the sanitary sewer system, sewers can become clogged leading to sanitary sewer back-ups and sewer overflows into the environment. Below are simple actions you can take to help protect the sewer system:

• “Can the Grease”. DO NOT dispose of grease and oils into any sink or drain. Instead pour grease into a can, cool the can in the freezer, and then discard in the trash.
• Wipe grease out of pots and pans with a paper towel prior to washing. Place paper towels in the trash.
• Minimize use of garbage disposals as many foods are cooked or contain additional oils. Use strainers on sinks to catch food scraps and dispose of in the trash.
• DO NOT flush non-degradable materials down the toilet. These include items such as so-called “flushable” wipes, paper towels, condoms, and personal hygiene items (tissues, feminine care products, Q-tips, etc). Instead place these items in the trash.
• DO NOT flush medications down the toilet. Flushing medications into the sewer system pose a hazard to water quality. Instead, mix them with substances like kitty litter or used coffee grounds, place mixture in a seal-able bag, and place in a secured trash can. Alternatively, you can return these medications during Drug Take-Back Days or at permanent disposal locations. To locate a permanent disposal location, please visit the U.S. Department of Justice's Diversion Control Division website.
• Report any sanitary sewer issues to the City by calling 311 or 703.746.4311.

The City’s combined sewer system dates back to the 1800s and comprises approximately 540 acres located in the Old Town area. During most wet weather events, combined sewage (a mixture of wastewater and stormwater runoff) discharges through one of four combined sewer outfalls into receiving waterways.

In April 2017, the Virginia General Assembly passed a law requiring the remediation of these outfalls by July 1, 2025 (deadline extended until July 1, 2026). The City, working with Alexandria Renew Enterprises (AlexRenew), submitted a Long Term Control Plan to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) in 2018.

This plan calls for the construction of an underground tunnel system to bring combined sewage to the AlexRenew wastewater treatment facility, thus significantly reducing both the number and volume of combined sewer discharges into City waterways. VDEQ has approved the plan and the City has transferred ownership of the combined sewer outfalls to AlexRenew. AlexRenew is implementing the plan as part of its RiverRenew Program.

City Council - AlexRenew Board Project Review Workgroup Subcommittee

To facilitate partnership between the City and AlexRenew, and to provide a liaison for input and feedback, this workgroup will review and guide the plans, design, implementation, costs and financing of the combined sewer construction project with the intent of minimizing community impacts and maximizing community benefits. The next City Council/AlexRenew Board CSO Workgroup meeting will be held on Wednesday November 20, 2024 from 5-7pm at AlexRenew, 6th floor, 1800 Limerick Street. To learn more about the CSO Workgroup, click here. 

Combined Sewer System Community Engagement

Building off the foundation from previous groups, the new RiverRenew Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG) will monitor construction progress on the Tunnel System Project, the largest infrastructure project in Alexandria's history. The next SAG meeting will be held on Thursday September 19, 2024 from 6-8pm at AlexRenew, 6th floor, 1800 Limerick Street. To learn more about the RiverRenew SAG, click here.

To find out more information about the RiverRenew program, please click here.

Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) Program

The City has developed a Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) program to reduce the amount of FOG introduced into the sanitary sewer system, which can lead to sewer back-ups and sanitary sewer overflows into the environment.

City Assistance Program For Sewer Backflow Prevention

The City of Alexandria offers assistance to homes that may have experienced a basement backup after a heavy rainfall and are interested in having a licensed plumber install a backflow preventer.

Sanitary Sewer Asset Renewal Program

The City is implementing a Sanitary Sewer Asset Renewal Program, which will provide for the inspection and rehabilitation of all City sanitary sewers, manholes, and City-owned portions of lateral sewers. A total of $36 million has been programmed over the next 10 years as part of the City's Sanitary Sewer Capital Improvement Program. The program commenced in Spring 2021 and inspection/rehabilitation has been occurring in phases as described below:

• Del Ray East - Phase I of the program includes areas bounded by Commonwealth Avenue, Four Mile Run, Route 1, and the Metro rail lines. Inspections of sanitary manholes, sanitary sewers, and city-owned laterals took place from March 2021 to December 2021. Rehabilitation of structurally deficient manholes and sewers began October 2023. Rehabilitation of structurally deficient laterals is anticipated to commence in Spring 2025. Construction schedule and updates can be found on the capital project webpage, Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation- Del Ray East. 
• Del Ray West - Phase II of the program includes areas between Russell Road, Commonwealth Avenue, West Glebe Road, and King Street. Inspections of sanitary manholes, sanitary sewers, and city-owned laterals took place from June 2022 to July 2023. Rehabilitation of structurally deficient manholes, sewers, and laterals is anticipated to commence in Winter 2025.
• North Ridge - Phase III of the program includes areas between Russell Road, West Glebe Road, Cameron Mills Road, and West Braddock Road. Inspections started in June 2023 and will take approximately 9 months to complete. 

Old Town Sewer Assessment and Rehabilitation Program

This project provides for the condition assessment of all sewers in the Old Town area (including the combined sewer area) of the City and remediation of structurally deficient sewers and sewer structures. This project will be completed in several phases, starting with inspections. The first phase of inspections was completed in June 2020 and consisted of physical inspections of all manholes and inlets in the Old Town area. This second phase of inspections was completed in June 2021 and included CCTV inspection of all sewers in the northern half of the Old Town area. Currently, CCTV inspections are ongoing in the southern half of the Old Town area, which are anticipated to be completed by June 2023. Once these inspections are completed, the project will move into the design phase. Once design commences, a schedule will be provided for design and construction. 

The Sanitary Infrastructure Division is responsible for implementation of the Sanitary Sewer Capital Improvement Program (CIP), which covers all sanitary sewer capital projects over the 10-year CIP period. Sanitary Infrastructure Division provides the planning level engineering for sanitary capital projects. Following completion of planning, these projects are then transferred to the City's Department of Project Implementation for detailed design and construction. A list of all CIP projects is provided below. Individual project webpages are currently being developed for these projects which will include a description of the scope of the project, project schedule, and project budget.

PROJECTS IN PLANNING

• King and Strand Sanitary Sewer Replacement
• Sanitary Sewer Armoring - Holmes Run Project
• Colonial Avenue Sewer Separation Project
• Del Ray West Lateral Rehabilitation
• Del Ray West Manhole and Mainline Rehabilitation
• Nethergate Storm Sewer Improvements
• North Ridge Area Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation
• Old Town Small Diameter Mainline and Manhole Rehabilitation
• Old Town Large Diameter Sewer Rehabilitation
• Old Town Lateral Rehabilitation
• Pitt and Gibbon Combined Sewer Surcharging Mitigation

PROJECTS IN DESIGN

• 300 and 400 Blocks N Alfred Street Sewer Upsizing
• 500 Block of South Lee Street Sewer Main Replacement
• 600 Block of North Columbus Street Sewer Separation Project
• CSX Fourth Track Sewer Relocation
• Del Ray East Lateral Rehabilitation
• Del Ray Capacity Upsizing Project No. 1
• 400 Block of Wolfe Street Sanitary Sewer Upsizing Project
• Madison and North Saint Asaph Streets Sewer Replacement

PROJECTS IN CONSTRUCTION

• Del Ray East Manhole and Mainline Sewer Rehabilitation
• Four Mile Run and Commonwealth Manhole Inserts

There are over 240 miles of sanitary and combined sewers located within the City. Information about these sewers are available to the public on the City’s GIS Sewer Viewer.

The Sewer Viewer displays the sewer network, and includes information such as pipe diameters, flow directions and manholes.

The Sanitary Infrastructure Division is responsible for:

• Planning level engineering encompassing over 240 miles of sanitary and combined sewer within the City
• Development and implementation of the City’s 10-year Sanitary Sewer Capital Improvement Program utilizing revenues collected from customer sewer bills and connection fees from development
• Coordination with the City’s Department of Project Implementation related to design and construction of sanitary sewer capital projects
• Coordination with Alexandria Renew Enterprises on the RiverRenew Program for the combined sewer system
• Review of development and redevelopment plans in order to ensure adequate sewer capacity to accommodate growth and identify when upgrades to sewer infrastructure are required to serve new development
• Ensuring that development projects located within the combined sewer system (CSS) comply with the City’s CSS Management Policy for development/redevelopment

For more information or questions, please contact 703.746.4014.