Mike Nardolilli is the executive director of the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin.He says there are redundancies built into the current system we have, but an additional supply is important, especially given what their models show about the impact of climate change down the road. "We think we can handle a run-of-the-mill drought with the resources we have," Nardolilli said. "Our models also show that variability is going to increase. Wet years will be wetter, and dry years will be drier."
In terms of comparable undertakings, four years ago, Atlanta finished a $320 million reservoir build that increased their reserve water supply from about three days to 90 days.
It's hard to say how much a D.C. project would cost, but this is part of the reason they’re formally starting this study.
Nardolilli mentioned a few possibilities being considered, including filling up a barren rock quarry in the area, injecting water into an aquifer, constructing a pipeline from Harpers Ferry, and filtering out the salt in some brackish parts of the Potomac.
I think they need to look into recycling their own sewage.
The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Blast From The Past up and ready for your digital pleasure.
Doesn't DC already recycle their sewage to the rest of the country? Oh, you're talking about wastewater. Nevermind.
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