River Full of Human Waste Runs Through Nation's Capital

WASHINGTON, DC, November 4, 2004 (ENS) - The Anacostia River, running through the nation's capital, has too much untreated human waste, too much trash, too much sediment, too many toxic chemicals, and not enough life giving oxygen or wetlands, according to the first State of the Anacostia Report, released Tuesday by the nonprofit Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

The foundation is calling on federal, state and local governments to provide the millions of dollars it will take to upgrade the District of Columbia’s outmoded combined sewer system, stopping it from spilling billions of gallons of untreated wastewater into the Anacostia each year.

Congress and the White House must provide leadership in finding the federal money, and state and local governments throughout the region must share in the costs, the foundation said.

Urban runoff in the Anacostia River Basin (Photo courtesy ICPRB)

Baker said the foundation has a vision of an Anacostia River that is safe for fishing and swimming by 2020. “We have an obligation, to our children and future generations, to make this vision of a healthy Anacostia a reality," he said.

The State of the Anacostia Report measures the health of the river by looking at scientific data measuring pollution from trash, fecal coliform bacteria, suspended solids, toxic chemicals, and nitrogen.

It also assesses the health and quantity of wetlands, dissolved oxygen levels, and measures government action to reduce pollution.

As a result of pollution, the Anacostia received a score of 17 out of a possible 100 points - a failing grade. The report identified problems in both water quality and government action - with "exceedingly high levels of untreated human waste," trash, and toxic chemicals in the waterway, the foundation said.

The trash comes from littering, as well as overflowing dumpsters and garbage cans. Some people dump trash illegally into rivers and parks. Municipal stormwater systems, the underground networks of pipes designed to keep rainwater from flooding the city streets, also wash tons of debris off streets and directly into the Anacostia River system every year, the report found.

Afloat in a sea of trash, a kayak makes its way through plastic bottles, cans and other debris that wash down through the storm drains of Washington, D.C. and suburban Maryland. (Photo by Skip Brown courtesy Maryland Sea Grant)

The goal of the State of the Anacostia Report is to focus public attention and government action on the most serious problems facing the river.

The Greater Washington Board of Trade is already paying attention. “Washington’s Anacostia can become a world-class urban waterfront, bringing significant economic growth and resources to this region,” said Sam Black, environment subcommittee chairman of the trade association.

“Economic development, the quality of life in the area, and the health of the Anacostia are closely linked.," said Black. "The business community and the Board of Trade are in the forefront of support for this cleanup.”

The report calls on the federal, state, and local governments to require the use of state-of-the-art technologies to manage polluted runoff from federal properties, state and municipal roadways, and new development in the watershed.

Stormwater plays a role in combined sewer overflows, another source of pollution to the river. Washington's sewer system carries both sewage and stormwater in the same set of pipes. When it rains, the system often becomes overwhelmed and discharges untreated sewage into local waterways. Along the Anacostia's eight mile course, these overflows occur in 17 different places, spilling up to three billion gallons into the river each year.

Mike Brenton, 14, and Nathan Phipps, 9, crawl underneath a pier alongside the Anacostia Park boat ramp to clean up trash on Make A Difference Day 2003. (Photo courtesy DCMilitary.com)

“While some progress has been made in recent years, the pace is far too slow,” Baker said. “The Clean Water Act requires, and local citizens deserve, aggressive and bold new actions by government to enforce the law and reduce pollution.”

The Anacostia River runs eight miles from Bladensburg, Maryland, to Washington, DC. It flows in the shadow of the Capitol Building. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) calls it "the forgotten river."

The environmental group says the first step is to be aware of the many substances that enter the Anacostia as a result of daily activities. Pesticides, used motor oil, litter, pet waste, the environmentalists say the river will recover more quickly if people keep these substances from entering the waterway.

"It's essential that local and federal officials act now to clean up the Anacostia, but the river needs help from citizens as well," the NRDC says. "Every business and every individual in the watershed affects the river's health. Each one also has the power to minimize the damage to its water quality."