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Anacostia River

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The Mid-Atlantic is a region of the United States located in the overlap between the Northeastern and Southeastern states of the United States . Its exact definition differs upon source, but the region typically includes New Jersey , Maryland , Virginia , Delaware , West Virginia , District of Columbia , and Pennsylvania . Some sources include New York , while others exclude Pennsylvania . However, according the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the states listed above are commonly accepted as the Mid-Atlantic region. The region has its origin in the Middle Colonies of the 18th century when its states were among the Thirteen Colonies of pre- revolutionary British America . As of the 2020 census , the region had a population of 60,783,913, representing slightly over 18% of the nation's population.

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67-741: The Anacostia River / æ n ə ˈ k ɒ s t i ə / is a river in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C. , where it joins with the Washington Channel and ultimately empties into the Potomac River at Buzzard Point . It is about 8.7 miles (14.0 km) long. The name "Anacostia" derives from the area's early history as Nacotchtank ,

134-464: A $ 400,000 grant to put another 35,000 mussels in the river.  Half of this funding came from the federal government, and the other half came from a five cent tax on plastic bags in the District. This project came at an especially important moment for Anacostia River health, as the D.C. area weathered intense rain in 2018 which contributed to much sediment, waste, and organic material flowing into

201-594: A few of West Virginia's eastern panhandle counties are considered part of the Washington metropolitan area , the major portion of the state is rural and there are no major or even large cities. Shipping and trade have been important to the Mid-Atlantic economy since the beginning of the colonial era. The explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano was the first European to see the region in 1524. Henry Hudson later extensively explored that region in 1611 and claimed it for

268-667: A natural harbor called St. Thomas's Bay. The Washington City Canal operated from 1815 until the mid-1850s, initially connecting the Anacostia to Tiber Creek and the Potomac River; and later to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal . The city canal fell into disuse in the late 19th century, and the city government covered over or filled in various sections. During the American Civil War , an extensive line of forts

335-551: A public health threat because of fecal coliform bacteria and other pathogens ; it also impairs water quality and can create hypoxic conditions that lead to large fish kills . According to Rianna Murray et al. and a study from the NOAA Office of Response and Restoration, many citizens living along the Anacostia River have been exposed to water pollution. One study done on recreational exposure to pollution along

402-659: A report dismissing the idea of health risks from the water. The story was picked up by The Washington Post , which ran front-page stories about the problem in January 2004. This led to a Congressional investigation, which found that the CDC had made "scientifically indefensible" claims about the lack of health effects from the lead in DC's water supply. The problem was traced to the Washington Aqueduct decision to replace

469-455: A settlement of Necostan or Anacostan Native Americans on the banks of the Anacostia River. Heavy pollution in the Anacostia and weak investment and development along its banks made it "D.C.'s forgotten river". More recently, however, private organizations; local businesses; and the D.C., Maryland , and federal governments have made efforts to reduce pollution and protect the ecologically valuable Anacostia watershed . The main stem of

536-688: A sub-region of the Northeast and only includes New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The Bureau of Labor Statistics excludes New York; the Environmental Protection Agency excludes New York and New Jersey; and the U.S. Department of Transportation - United States Maritime Administration includes North Carolina . In 2004, the United States Geological Survey within the context of Ground-Water Vulnerability to Nitrate Contamination, defined

603-521: A time, New Sweden along the Delaware River in Delaware , divided the two great bulwarks of English settlement from each other. The original English settlements in the region notably provided refuge to religious minorities, Maryland to Roman Catholics and Pennsylvania to Quakers and Anabaptist Pennsylvania Dutch . In time, all these settlements fell under English colonial control, but

670-550: Is also home to the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. The Mid-Atlantic is home to 33 professional sports franchises in the five major leagues and the two most prominent women's professional leagues: Notable golf tournaments in the Mid-Atlantic include the Barclays , Quicken Loans National and Atlantic City LPGA Classic . Two high-level professional tennis tournaments are held in the region. The US Open , held in New York,

737-478: Is discharged to the Potomac is highly treated and meets some of the most stringent NPDES permit limits in the United States. Historically, wastewater treatment plants have contributed nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen to the waterways in which they discharge. These nutrients have been found to deplete oxygen in the marine environment, a process that is detrimental to fish and other aquatic life . Since

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804-693: Is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, whereas the Washington Open is part of the ATP Tour 500 series and WTA 250 series. Notable motorsports tracks include Watkins Glen International , Dover Motor Speedway and Pocono Raceway , which have hosted Formula One , IndyCar , NASCAR , World Sportscar Championship and IMSA races. Also, the Englishtown and Reading drag strips such have hosted NHRA national events. Pimlico Race Course at Baltimore and Belmont Park at New York host

871-668: Is responsible for all daily operations and reports to the DC Water Board of Directors. The current President/CEO is David L. Gadis. DC Water purchases drinking water from the Washington Aqueduct division of the Army Corps of Engineers. The Aqueduct sources the water from the Potomac River at Great Falls and Little Falls , north of the District. The Aqueduct treats the water, and DC Water distributes it through 1,300 miles (2,100 km) of water pipes throughout

938-576: Is the Washington Navy Yard, which is sited alongside the river and is believed to be a source of PCB contaminants in the river and sediment. In May 2009, a Bandalong Litter Trap floating litter-control system was placed in the Watts Branch tributary of the Anacostia River as part of Mayor Adrian Fenty 's "Green DC Agenda." In its first year of operation, it removed more than 500 pounds (230 kg) of floatable litter per month from

1005-557: Is then included in the overall District of Columbia budget. Together these two budgets are presented annually to Congress for approval. When DC Water was created as an independent authority in 1996, its finances were separate from those of the District of Columbia. The independence of DC Water with regard to finance, procurement and personnel matters was affirmed by Congress under the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority Independence Preservation Act of 2008. A President and CEO

1072-899: The Continental Congress , the convention of delegates who organized the American Revolution . Philadelphia also was the birthplace of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the United States Constitution in 1787, while the United States Bill of Rights was drafted and ratified and the first Supreme Court of the United States sat for the first time, in the first capital under the Constitution of New York . While early settlers were mostly farmers, traders, and fishermen,

1139-674: The Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes horse races, which are part of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing . With a GDP nominal of over $ 5.2 trillion, the Mid-Atlantic economy would be third-largest in the world if calculated separately, only behind the remaining United States and China and nearly $ 1 trillion larger than next place Japan. This economic prosperity is buoyed by a significant financial services and banking sector, healthcare and chemicals industry, and telecommunications and entertainment conglomerates. According to

1206-911: The Thirteen Colonies that sent delegates to the Second Continental Congress , which assembled in Philadelphia and unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence , and formalized the Continental Army under George Washington 's command during the American Revolutionary War . Following independence, the states again gathered in Philadelphia at the Constitutional Convention , in 1788, where they ratified

1273-552: The Tidal Basin via 28 miles (45 km) of paved, shared-use path with connections and spurs to the National Arboretum , Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens , Nationals Park , Maine Avenue Fish Market , and other locations. Mid-Atlantic states The Mid-Atlantic region played an instrumental and historic role in the nation's founding and the development of the nation. Each of the seven states were members of

1340-546: The United States Constitution , which remains the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world. The Mid-Atlantic region was settled during the colonial era between the early 17th century and the conclusion of the American Revolutionary War in 1783 by European Americans of primarily Dutch , German , Swedish , English , and other Western European ethnicities. Religious pluralism and freedoms existed in

1407-681: The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia ; Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh ; Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore , Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. ; and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia according to U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Ranking . Definitions of the geographic components of the Mid-Atlantic region differ slightly among sources. Generally speaking,

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1474-423: The 1970s a major expansion commenced that led to construction of advanced wastewater treatment components, and by 1983 the capacity was 300 mgd. In addition to Washington, the plant serves several adjacent communities in Maryland and Virginia . Drinking water and sewage treatment services were initially provided by the District of Columbia government. DC Water was established as an independent agency in 1996 by

1541-558: The Anacostia is formed by the confluence of the Northwest Branch and the Northeast Branch just north of Cottage City, Maryland . Tributaries of these sources include Sligo Creek , Paint Branch , Little Paint Branch, Indian Creek, Upper Beaverdam Creek, Dueling Branch, and Brier's Mill Run. Tributaries of the main stem Anacostia include Watts Branch , Lower Beaverdam Creek, and Hickory Run. The watershed of

1608-524: The Anacostia storage system were completed in September 2023 and will reduce sewage overflows by 98 percent. The major structure is a 12,500 feet (3,800 m) long, 23 feet (7.0 m) diameter reinforced concrete tunnel, buried approximately 80 to 120 feet deep. The overall Clean Rivers project will comprise over 18 miles (29 km) of tunnels with a storage capacity of 157 million US gallons (590,000 m). Another large source of river pollution

1675-533: The Authority was found to contain lead levels of at least 1,250 parts per billion (ppb)—about 83 times higher than the accepted safe level of 15 ppb. The discovery was made by Marc Edwards , a civil engineering professor specializing in plumbing who DC Water had hired to investigate complaints of plumbing corrosion. DC Water threatened to cut off Edwards's funding unless he abandoned his investigation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released

1742-525: The District Government and the U.S. federal government. In 2010, under new leadership, the Authority underwent a rebranding effort. The rebranding included a new logo, a new color palette, and a new name. Since its inception, the Authority had been doing business as DC Water. The legal name of the agency remains the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority. An eleven-member Board of Directors governs DC Water. Six Board Members represent

1809-525: The District of Columbia. DC Water also manages over 1,800 miles (2,900 km) of sewer lines and operates the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant. The plant discharges to the Potomac River at the southernmost tip of the District. The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) honored DC Water with its Research and Technology Award, given annually to member agencies who contribute to

1876-499: The District. Prince George's County and Montgomery County each have two Board Members. Fairfax County has a single Board Member. Each participating jurisdiction is a signatory to the Blue Plains Intermunicipal Agreement, which spells out the roles and responsibilities for each party and addresses facilities management, capacity allocation, and financing. The Authority develops its own budget, which

1943-838: The Dutch, who then created a fur-trading post in Albany in 1614. Jamestown, Virginia was the first permanent English colony in North America, it was established seven years earlier in 1607. From early colonial times, the Mid-Atlantic region was settled by a wider range of European people than in New England or the South. The Dutch New Netherland settlement along the Hudson River in New York City and New Jersey , and for

2010-844: The Global Financial Centres Index, the Mid-Atlantic region is home to the leading financial center in the world (New York) at #1, with Washington also present at #15. Notable companies (over $ 100 billion market cap) headquartered in the region include: District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) provides drinking water , sewage collection, and sewage treatment for Washington, D.C. The utility also provides wholesale wastewater treatment services to several adjoining municipalities in Maryland and Virginia , and maintains more than 9,000 public fire hydrants in Washington, D.C. DC Water

2077-574: The Maryland suburbs. According to WSSC, more than 4 million US gallons (15,000 m) of raw sewage were released into Anacostia tributaries between January 2001 and June 2004. Under a stormwater discharge permit issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the D.C. government is implementing a stormwater management program to improve water quality in the Anacostia. The governments of Montgomery County and Prince George's County also operate stormwater management programs. In response to

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2144-617: The Mid-Atlantic states provided the young United States with heavy industry and served as the " melting pot " of new immigrants from Europe. Cities grew along major ports, shipping routes, and waterways, including New York City and Newark on opposite sides of the Hudson River , Philadelphia on the Delaware River, Allentown on the Lehigh River , and Baltimore on the Chesapeake Bay . Note: The Mid-Atlantic region

2211-643: The Mid-Atlantic, and 33 of the nation's top 100 counties based on per capita income are in the region. Most of the Mid-Atlantic states rank among the 15 highest-income states in the nation by both median household income and per capita income. The region is home to eight of the top 25 ranked universities in the nation: Cornell University in Ithaca, New York ; Columbia University and NYU in New York City; Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey ;

2278-465: The NPDES permit effective September 2010, reducing nitrogen levels to 4.7 million pounds per year. DC Water plans to achieve these levels by constructing new facilities at Blue Plains to perform enhanced nitrogen removal (ENR). The total cost of the project is nearly $ 1 billion. In FY 09, the Authority rehabilitated pumping equipment and accessories in one of two stations that pump incoming wastewater into

2345-580: The Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation, currently occupies the banks of the Anacostia near Alternate Route 1 . The Port Towns Community Boathouse at the park is home to public boat and bike rentals, a public boat ramp and dock, as well as the rowing crews of the University of Maryland , The Catholic University of America , a community rowing school, and several local high schools. The Anacostia Riverwalk Trail (partially complete as of June 2016) connects Bladensburg Waterfront Park

2412-518: The United States . The nation's capital was constructed in Washington, D.C. in the late 18th century, and relocated there from Philadelphia in 1800. In the early part of the 19th century, New York and Pennsylvania overtook Virginia as the nation's two most populous states, and the Mid-Atlantic region overtook New England as the most important trading and industrial center in the nation. During this period, large numbers of German , Irish , Italian , Jewish , Polish , and other immigrants arrived in

2479-526: The capacity of the pipe. To prevent sewer backups and flooded streets, these combined sewers may discharge into the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers and Rock Creek , a phenomenon known as combined sewer overflows (CSOs). To date, DC Water has significantly reduced CSOs by eliminating approximately 40 percent of the overflows through a $ 140 million construction and mitigation program. This investment included inflatable dams to catch and store overflows during rainstorms, tide gates to keep river water from flowing into

2546-465: The construction of an aqueduct system to provide a reliable supply of drinking water to the city from the Potomac River . The US Army Corps of Engineers designed and built the Washington Aqueduct , which began full operation in 1864. Filtration plants were added to the system in the 20th century. In 1938, the District of Columbia built a sewage treatment plant in the Blue Plains area, at

2613-415: The cost of delivery of water and sewer service. A little more than half of the rates cover operations. Another quarter covers the cost of capital projects like replacement of aging water and sewer lines, valve replacements, and pump station improvements. Capital projects also include several projects designed to protect the environment and are required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Though

2680-463: The field of biosolids usage and disposal or wastewater treatment. The research project must be completed in-house (or by a contractor working directly with the agency). It must relate to the collection process, treatment process, or reuse of wastewater. This innovation by the DC Water team has a global impact in protecting aquatic life in waterways that receive wastewater discharges. The year 2010 marks

2747-401: The highest grade of B+, and others scored as low as Cs and even Ds. The District of Columbia is one of 772 older cities in the country with a combined sewer system. The system covers about a third of the city and was built in the late 19th century to carry sanitary sewage and stormwater in the same pipe. The system operates well in dry weather. However, during rainstorms, the flow can exceed

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2814-535: The litigation, in 2011 DCWASA began building a large system of sewage storage tunnels to reduce combined sewer overflow. Four deep storage tunnels next to the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers will reduce overflows to the Anacostia by 98 percent, and 96 percent system-wide. The first segment of the tunnel system, 7 miles (11 km) in length, opened in 2018. (The city's overall "Clean Rivers" project, projected to cost $ 2.6 billion, includes other components, such as reducing stormwater flows .) The remaining segments of

2881-537: The mandate comes from the federal government, the funding sources for these construction projects are not identified. While a small amount of funding has come through the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act and other grants, the majority of these capital costs are borne by the ratepayers. At Blue Plains, wastewater treatment goes beyond primary and secondary treatment levels to tertiary (or advanced) treatment . The effluent that leaves Blue Plains and

2948-612: The mid-1980s, Blue Plains has reduced phosphorus to the limit of technology, primarily in support of water quality goals of the Potomac River, but also for the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay . The Chesapeake Bay Agreement, reached in 1987, was a first step in reducing nitrogen discharge to waterways that are tributary to the Chesapeake Bay. Under the agreement, the Bay states and the District committed to voluntarily reduce nitrogen loads by 40 percent from their 1985 levels. Blue Plains

3015-500: The mussels have already purified 32 million gallons of water in the first year of this project. The pilot project began in 2018 when the Anacostia Watershed Society harvested 9,000 quarter-sized mussels and placed them in the river in protective baskets.  In 2019, after 92% of the mussels survived the first year of the project, the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) gave the watershed society

3082-592: The nitrification/denitrification process and aims to meet the nitrogen reduction goals of the Chesapeake Bay Program. It will also increase energy efficiency. On the waterways, the Authority operates two skimmer boats that remove floatable debris from the Anacostia and Potomac rivers every Monday through Friday. These crews remove more than 400 tons of trash from our waterways each year. Plastic bottles, plastic bags, inflatable toys, baseballs, and environmental debris like tree limbs, are all skimmed from

3149-531: The original Thirteen Colonies and were particularly prevalent in Province of Pennsylvania and the geographic region that ultimately broke from Pennsylvania to form the Delaware Colony . Among the 13 colonies, the Province of Maryland was the only colony with a substantial Catholic population. Following the American Revolutionary War, the Mid-Atlantic region hosted each of the historic capitals of

3216-549: The plant and replaced aged infrastructure and equipment in the plant's final filters with a more effective system. All the upgrade projects were tied into the plant-wide process control system (PCS), which monitors and controls the plant's processes from a central location. Progress was achieved by implementing the nitrification/denitrification facilities upgrade to convert nitrification reactors from coarse to fine bubble diffusion and modify structures equipment. The rehabilitated and new equipment will support other ongoing upgrades to

3283-639: The region as including Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., and parts of New Jersey, New York, and North Carolina. West Virginia and Virginia are atypical of this region in a few ways. These states both primarily lie within the Southern American dialect region , and the major religious tradition is largely Evangelical Christian , with 30% in Virginia and 39% in West Virginia identifying as evangelicals. Although

3350-519: The region continued to be a magnet for people of diverse nationalities. The area that came to be known as the Middle Colonies served as a strategic bridge between the North and South. The New York and New Jersey campaign during the American Revolutionary War saw more battles than any other theater of the conflict. Philadelphia , midway between the northern and southern colonies, was home to

3417-523: The region is inclusive of the states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, and the federal district of the District of Columbia, with some additional sources including or excluding other areas in parts of the Northeast region and the South Atlantic states , for practical reasons. The United States Census Bureau defines the Mid-Atlantic as

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3484-451: The region link an almost contiguous urban region, which includes large and small cities and their respective suburbs and forms the Northeast megalopolis , one of the world's most important concentrations of finance, media, communications, education , medicine, and technology. The Mid-Atlantic is a relatively affluent region of the nation; nearly half of the nation's 100 highest-income counties based on median household income are located in

3551-588: The region's coastal cities, including Baltimore , Newark , New York City , Philadelphia, and interior cities such as Pittsburgh , and Rochester , Albany , and Buffalo , with their skyscrapers and subways, which emerged as icons of modernity and American economic and cultural power in the 20th century. In the late 19th century, the region played a vital and historic role in the development of American culture , commerce, trade, and industry sectors . Historian Frederick Jackson Turner labeled it "typically American." The Northeast Corridor and Interstate 95 in

3618-528: The river covers roughly 176 sq mi (460 km) in eastern Montgomery County and northern Prince George's County, as well as most of the eastern half of Washington, D.C. Captain John Smith recorded in his journals that he sailed up the "Eastern Branch" or Anacostia River, in 1608 in his search for the main branch of the Potomac River and was well received by the Anacostans. On earlier maps,

3685-567: The river showed that many people reported "exposure to water while canoeing, kayaking, rowing, rafting, and paddling, and members of this group also reported getting water in their mouth while recreating." This exposure to polluted water has potential adverse effects on the health of individuals and their community. The Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS) sued the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DCWASA) in 1999 for allowing more than 2 billion US gallons (7,600,000 m) of combined sewage and urban runoff ( stormwater ) to flow into

3752-424: The river via its antiquated combined sewer overflow system. In settling the lawsuit, WASA agreed to invest $ 140 million on pump station rehabilitation, pipe cleaning and maintenance and public notices of overflows. In late 2004, AWS and other organizations announced plans to sue the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC), the sewage authority in Maryland, over similar problems with river contamination from

3819-403: The river was known as the "Eastern Branch of the Potomac River" until it received its current, official name. In the mid-1600s, the name "Annacostin River" was applied to the stretch of the Potomac River north of Oxon Creek up to the vicinity of present-day Washington where the confluence with the modern Anacostia (then called the Eastern Branch or St. Isidora's Creek) and St. James Creek formed

3886-461: The river. Since 2018, thousands of mussels have been placed in the Anacostia in an effort to reduce the impact of urban runoff , PCBs , and microplastics on river water quality and overall river health.  This effort has happened in conjunction with a movement to make the river a popular local water recreation site. Mussels , which are filter feeders, have a strong capability to clean water.  The Anacostia Watershed Society estimates that

3953-875: The river. River health has improved since, as noted in the watershed society's 2019 river report card.  The Anacostia earned its second-best-ever grade in the 2019 State of the Anacostia Report Card, but still failed the evaluation, earning a 51 percent. Swimming or wading in the Anacostia became illegal in 1971. However, as of 2019, city officials are considering changing this law and building public river pools.  DOEE Director Tommy Wells said, “I believe we will have swimming platforms in Washington, D.C. by 2025."  Freshwater mussels have tougher meat than saltwater mussels, so local restaurants are unlikely to buy them. “Without commercial demand for freshwater mussels, funding for their restoration hinges on proof of their ability to save rivers," The Washington Post reported in 2019. The Bladensburg Waterfront Park , part of

4020-434: The second consecutive year that DC Water has been recognized with this award. In 2010, DC Water received from NACWA the Platinum Peak Performance Award after receiving five consecutive Gold Awards for 100 percent compliance with permit limits. This award is presented to member agencies for exceptional compliance for their National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit limits. Rates paid by ratepayers cover

4087-519: The sewer system, sewer separation to eliminate CSO outfalls, and pumping station construction and rehabilitation to increase flow capacity. In 2013 the agency began construction of a deep tunnel system for its "Clean Rivers Project." The $ 2.4 billion, 20-year project will reduce CSOs by 96 percent overall and 98 percent in the Anacostia River. Once operational, the tunnel system will store the combined sewage during wet weather and release it gradually for treatment at Blue Plains. In 2001, water supplied by

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4154-503: The southernmost tip of DC. The cost was $ 4 million. The plant was built to stop raw sewage from entering the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers . At that time, the plant was built to treat sewage from a population of 650,000, with a capacity of 100 million gallons per day (mgd). By 1943, the population grew to 1.5 million people, contributing much more sewage, and upgrades to the plant were necessary. Secondary treatment units were added in 1959, with an expanded discharge capacity of 240 mgd. In

4221-403: The waterways and deposited into oversized dumpsters for removal. In decades past, there used to be more oversized items, such as sofas and refrigerators. However, over the years, the skimmer boats have removed most of those. Still, there is the occasional unlikely item, such as the live deer that was recently rescued to dry ground. In addition to their full-time work assignments, these crews clean

4288-444: The way for special events like the Nation's Triathlon and high school crew competitions, as well as for conservation efforts. As a result of the work DC Water contributes, "The District, as a city, is head and shoulders above any other municipality in the Bay watershed," said Tom Schueler of the nonprofit Chesapeake Stormwater Network. In 2009, The Stormwater Network developed a stormwater performance grading scale. The District received

4355-403: Was constructed south of the river in order to prevent Confederate artillery from bombarding the Washington Navy Yard , which abuts the river. One of the biggest problems facing the Anacostia River is raw sewage that enters the river and its tributaries. During rainstorms, the river receives discharges of untreated sewage due to the city's antiquated combined sewer system. The sewage creates

4422-555: Was founded in 1996 when the city government and the U.S. federal government established it as an independent authority of the city's government. DC Water provides more than 600,000 residents, 16.6 million annual visitors, and 700,000 people employed in the District of Columbia with water, sewage collection, and treatment. The agency also provides wholesale wastewater treatment for 1.6 million people in Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland, and Fairfax and Loudoun counties in Virginia. In 1852, Congress commissioned

4489-440: Was the first plant to achieve that goal. Furthermore, every year since the full-scale implementation of the Biological Nitrogen Removal (BNR) process was completed in 2000, Blue Plains has every year successfully achieved and exceeded that goal of a 40 percent reduction. In Fiscal Year 2009, the BNR process at Blue Plains reduced the nitrogen load by more than 58 percent. DC Water and EPA agreed upon new nitrogen limits as part of

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