Alexandria Renew Enterprises (AlexRenew), the wastewater authority serving Alexandria, is proposing a two-year sewer rate increase to help fund its RiverRenew program that will minimize combined sewer overflows into the City’s waterways, and ongoing upgrades at its wastewater treatment facility.
The rate increase is critical to funding the ongoing construction of the RiverRenew program, scheduled for completion in late 2025. This requires AlexRenew to increase existing wastewater treatment rates by 6.9 percent on July 1, 2021, and by 6.5 percent on July 1, 2022. An average residential customer would see an increase of about $4 per month for each of these increases, or an average increase of about $50 per year.
Federal and state low-interest water loan programs were used to secure debt financing for RiverRenew. These programs offer very low interest rates, helping to reduce the rate increases projected at the start of the program.
AlexRenew will host a virtual public hearing on Saturday, May 22, 2021, starting at 9:30 a.m. to receive public comment on the proposed rate increase. Interested parties may register for the public hearing in advance here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_CJ0e7HIjQFOkP5YtAYWMSA.
The $615 million RiverRenew program is the largest infrastructure project in Alexandria’s history and will prevent millions of gallons of combined sewage from polluting the Potomac River, Hunting Creek, and Hooffs Run each year. This will create safer, cleaner, healthier waterways for the community, wildlife, and future generations.
“Wastewater infrastructure is essential to keeping our community healthy,” said Karen Pallansch, AlexRenew General Manager. “Our shared investment helps ensure the waterways that connect us are improved and preserved for future generations.”