DC Water says the Northeast Boundary Tunnel (NEBT) will address the District’s flooding problem.
The $583 million project features a 27,000-ft. sewage tunnel with a diameter of 23 feet and a depth of 100 ft., NBC-4 reported on Aug. 12
A joint venture of Salini Impregilo (WeBuild) and S.A. Healy (Lane) won the contract in 2017, and is now working on the final stages of the project, scheduled for completion in 2013.
The tunnel will start slightly south of RFK Stadium and extend north to Rhode Island Avenue and west to R Street NW, targeting areas prone to flooding due to weak infrastructure.
The goal of the plan is to construct this sewage tunnel and connect it with the existing sewer system. DC Water said this will significantly mitigate sewer flooding, while improving the Anacostia River’s water quality, the broadcaster reported.
DC Water said once the tunnel is connected, combined sewer overflows to the Anacostia River will be reduced by 98%. Construction of the NEBT is also said to “reduce the chance of flooding in the areas it serves from approximately 50 to 7 percent in any given year.”
