n e e r G DC
Blue Plains - Working For All Of Us Our River: The Anacostia
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by Bill Matuszeski
long the Potomac, virtually in the back yard of Anacostia, is Blue Plains, a remarkable place that we are so lucky to have. Blue Plains is nothing less than “The Largest Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant In the World.” How it got that recognition and what it does for us is a rather complicated tale, but worth getting to know. Blue Plains is part of DCWater, which also provides drinking water to 700,000 DC residents plus visitors. In addition to this, it treats wastewater for 1.6 million additional residents of nearby developed areas, including Montgomery, Prince Georges, Fairfax and Loudoun Counties. Blue Plains treats an average of nearly 300 million wastewater gallons per day, has a design capacity for 384 million and a peak capacity with temporary storage of more than a billion gallons per day. The south end of Blue Plains, where the Cleaned David Gadis is Up Waters are discharged into the Potomac. Photo: Bill Matuszeski the Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of DCWariculture and garden supply companies. ter. He ensures that DCWater delivers on Other processes in the digesters produce its commitment to virtually eliminate comenough electricity to cut the Blue Plains bined sewer overflows into the Potomac, bill by a third. the Anacostia and Rock Creek. We have These are only examples of a full already seen amazing results from its $2.7 range of innovative treatments that take billion investment in a massive system of the plant beyond a “primary” or “seconddeep tunnels and other projects in the Anary” designation and make it an Advanced acostia, with real progress toward the ulWastewater Treatment Plant. timate goal of a 98% reduction of sewer overflows—the highest percentage reducAdvanced Treatments tion goal in the metropolitan area, by the The whole process of this advanced treatway, and among the highest on earth! ment covers a wide range of options and an So rather than the sewers overflowextended period of time. Key elements are: ing into our rivers whenever it rains, they (1) Screening and Grit Removal: A set will now deliver near 100% of the overof screens removes objects, large particles, flow to Blue Plains. A tremendous effort rocks and other non-degradables. They are is underway to not only treat this sewage, loaded into trucks and taken to a landfill. but to develop a range of potential future (2) Primary Clarifiers: In a coneuses for its components. This effort has shaped tank, solid particles settle on the produced a range of re-use options unbottom, and wastewater flows outward der the leadership of Chris Peot, a longover a set of weirs. Fats, oils and grease time Capitol Hill resident who is Director are skimmed off the top, solids settle to of Resource Recovery. During treatment, Blue Plains, with the Potomac the bottom, and both are directed to Solbio-solids and energy are extracted and reRiver on the Left and I-295 on ids Thickening (see #8.) used. The bio-solids are marketed to agthe right. Photo: DCWater
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