Project

The century-old combined sewer system in the District of Columbia is not equipped to handle the population growth experienced during the last 100 years.  The sewer system is undersized and has caused chronic flooding in the Bloomingdale and LeDroit Park neighborhoods, at the Rhode Island Metro Station area, and on Mount Olivet Road NE for decades…

To address the problem, DC Water has initiated the construction of the Northeast Boundary Tunnel (NEBT) to connect with the existing sewer system, significantly mitigating sewer flooding while improving the water quality of the Anacostia River. The NEBT is the largest component of the Clean Rivers Project and will start just south of RFK Stadium and extend north to Rhode Island Avenue and west to R Street NW.

Completion of the NEBT in 2023 will fulfill new facility construction on the Anacostia River required by DC Water’s Consent Decree. Once the NEBT is connected to the other Clean Rivers tunnels, combined sewer overflows to the Anacostia River will be reduced by 98 percent. In addition to controlling combined sewer overflows, the construction of the Northeast Boundary Tunnel will reduce the chance of flooding in the areas it serves from approximately 50 to 7 percent in any given year.

Please remember to watch for our workers and your neighbors as you proceed by the construction sites.