Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Why Do Alexandriarans Hate the Bay?

Virtually every time it rains in Old Town Alexandria, the city’s aged sewers spew raw sewage into the Potomac River — about 11.3 million gallons a year.

The city, under orders from state and federal authorities, is launching an expensive effort to capture and contain overflows in three locations, which should fix much of the problem. But the plan does not include the biggest outfall of all, one that dumps sewage directly into Oronoco Bay, accounting for nearly half of all the overflow into the river.
. . .
But critics say the phased approach will leave Oronoco Bay clogged with algae and human waste multiple times each month, even as the other areas improve. They argue that the wealthy riverfront city could easily fund the entire project, and they fault the local government for waiting until now to act.

“If Alexandria wants to revitalize its waterfront and encourage recreation and tourism like Georgetown, they must eliminate the discharge,” said Dean Naujoks, who works for the Potomac Riverkeeper Network, a nonprofit group. “You can’t call yourself an eco-city and have it both ways.”
It's a rich city, but they'll keep dumping their shit in the Bay as long as they're allowed.

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