The D.C. Water and Sewer Authority is scheduled to begin work June 18 on a green infrastructure project in Burleith and southeastern Glover Park that is aimed at managing stormwater runoff to keep it out of the sewer system and the Potomac River during heavy rains.
At the June 4 meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E (Georgetown, Burleith), Seth Charde of DC Water discussed the plans to install permeable pavement in parking lanes and alleys within an area defined as Potomac River Project A.
Construction will take place weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with occasional Saturday hours, he said. Affected residents will receive two weeks’ advance notice of the work, which will include temporary no-parking signs.
Once construction is finished, the parking lanes will be vacuum-swept once a month to remove leaves, weeds and sediment. Construction in the project area is expected to wind up by March 2019, with an official monitoring and assessment period continuing through the next two years.
According to DC Water’s website, Potomac River Project A is the first green infrastructure initiative proposed for the Potomac River sewershed to avoid the problem of combined sewer overflows during storms. The installation of permeable pavement and rain gardens allows water to infiltrate the soil, evaporate into the air, or be used by plants.
DC Water is also slated to present installation plans at the June 14 meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3B (Glover Park, Cathedral Heights).
The project’s dedicated phone line is 800-518-4532. Information is also available at dcwater.com/projects/potomac-river-green-infrastructure-project.
