DC Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton said Friday that President Biden focused on finding a backup drinking water supply for residents in the DC area who are mostly or solely dependent on the Potomac River. announced that it had signed the
DC Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton on Friday focused on President Joe Biden’s finding a backup drinking water supply for residents in the DC area who are mostly or solely dependent on the Potomac River. announced that it had signed the terms.
Norton included three articles in the Water Resources Development Act of 2022, or WRDA, all of which Biden signed into law.According to Norton, one of the clauses “to address problems that DC has long faced” would allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct research into DC’s secondary drinking water sources and additional drinking water storage capacity. is what you do
The provision “helps protect the capital’s drinking water and other infrastructure from severe vulnerability and will benefit DC residents for years to come,” Norton said in a news release. .
Although other local water systems have backup water sources, the Potomac River (the fourth longest river along the East Coast of the United States at over 400 miles long) is currently the drinking water supply for school districts and Arlington County. is the sole source of City of Falls Church in Virginia.
The release also states that “natural or man-made events may render rivers unusable for drinking water.”
Michael Nadrili, executive director of the Interstate Commission for the Potomac Basin, told WTOP that water supplies were fragile. Accidental or intentional contamination events.
In addition, the Washington Aqueduct, which produces drinking water from the Potomac River, has a secondary drinking water source, compared to other large cities such as New York and Los Angeles, which have secondary drinking water sources and even plan a third source. of reserve water supplies. .
Nardolilli said that “everything is on the table” when it comes to ideas for installing backup water systems in Washington, DC.
“Many things have been proposed: a pipeline from Harpers Ferry down the Potomac River, pumping water for the aquifer below the city, ‘toilet to tap’ where water from the Blue Plains Treatment Plan could be recovered and used. program. [as drinking water]’ said Nadrili.
As WTOP first reported in 2016, local water authorities are also studying the potential use of Rockville’s Travira quarry for water storage.
Two other provisions Norton wrote to the WRDA would allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct research into the feasibility of swimming on the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers, and the release states, “D.C.’s Beautiful Waterways.” It’s the next logical step in maximizing the benefits,” as well as researching DC’s Federal Triangle, which has become more susceptible to flooding over the years.
Neal Augenstein of WTOP contributed to this report.
Follow WTOP like WTOP on Facebook twitter and Instagram where you can have a conversation about this and other articles.
Sign up here to get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox.
© 2022 WTOP. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users residing within the European Economic Area.