A federal court settlement filed today is expected to dramatically cut sewage pollution in D.C.’s rivers. The settlement requires the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) to curtail the discharge of billions of gallons of sewage overflows into the Anacostia River, the Potomac, and Rock Creek.

The overflows, which contain raw human sewage, occur because of DC’s antiquated combined sewer system, which carries sewage and storm water in the same pipes. During rainstorms, the system cannot handle the combined flow, and overflows directly into the District’s rivers. More than three billion gallons of overflows currently occur in an average year. Bacteria levels in these discharges are often thousands of times over safe levels, making it unhealthy to swim, fish, or in some cases, even boat in area waterways.

The settlement requires WASA to build large underground tunnels to store the sewage and rainwater until storms subside, when it can be pumped to the Blue Plains wastewater plant for treatment. Along with other controls, the tunnels are expected to cut sewage overflows by 97% to the Anacostia River, 93% to the Potomac, and 90% to Rock Creek in an average year.

“This is a major step toward making the District’s rivers safe for fishing and swimming,” said Earthjustice attorney David Baron. “We’re finally headed toward curbing the billions of gallons of sewage overflows that occur every year in the nation’s capital.”

A partial settlement negotiated by all the parties last year requires upgrades in the sewer system and pump stations that are expected to cut overflows by 40% over the next five years. That settlement also required WASA to provide $2 million for environmentally beneficial projects in the Anacostia watershed, and to provide better public notice when sewage overflows are occurring.

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Original story courtesy of Earthjustice.