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Regular visitors to Old Town have likely noticed that something is missing along the waterfront.
Last month, Robinson Terminal North, a massive waterfront warehouse located at 501 N. Union St., was demolished. The demolition was part of RiverRenew, a half-billion-dollar project that involves building a tunnel system under the city to prevent combined sewage from overflowing into the Potomac River.
The former location of Robinson Terminal North as seen from Oronoco Street in early December (Photo/Missy Schrott)
The combined sewer system in Alexandria has been a problem for years. On a typical day, the system carries combined sewage and rainwater to AlexRenew, the city’s wastewater treatment facility located at 1800 Limerick St. On rainy days, however, the pipes don’t have the capacity to transport the quantity of combined sewage entering the system. As a result, combined sewage overflows into the city’s waterways at four outfalls about 70 times per year, according to AlexRene