Alexandria's new 2.2-mile tunnel will help prevent sewage from overflowing into the Potomac River during storms.
The project, driven by climate concerns, aims to reduce the current 37-70 annual overflows to less than three by 2026.
Similar outdated sewer systems exist in 700 other U.S. municipalities, many of which are also working on expensive upgrades.
Key quote:
“This project is a contributor to cleaning up the river and making it swimmable and fishable for future generations of Alexandrians.”
— Matt Robertson, AlexRenew
Why this matters:
Increasing rainfall due to climate change is making sewage overflows more common, threatening water quality and public health. Addressing these issues requires significant investment and planning to adapt infrastructure to new environmental realities.
Alexandria is getting a $65,000 planning grant from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to study the city’s biggest watershed to see how it’s been affected by the state’s changing climate.
Rising sea levels are threatening the ancient port built by Alexander the Great and changing the chemical balance of farmland that Egypt cannot afford to lose.
The plans for the first city on an artificial island in the Mediterranean Sea represent a bid to mitigate the devastating effects of climate change on the Delta.
The proposal, billed as the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act, offers a clear policy marker for liberals as Democrats seek to influence President Biden’s $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan.
