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After a series of devastating floods in two Washington neighborhoods, D.C. lawmakers are scrambling to find answers.
After three thunderstorms in a two-week span last month caused serious flooding in both Bloomingdale and Ledroit Park in Northwest, Mayor Vincent Gray has launched a task-force to study what's causing the flooding and to find out what can be done to stop it.
The long-term fix, says the mayor, will be the Clean Rivers Project, a $2.6 billion project to revamp the city's sewers, tunnels, and waterways. The massive project will allow D.C. to capture and clean water during heavy rainfalls and prevent sewer overflows but it's not scheduled to be completed until 2025.
"We think the solution will be the Clean Rivers program but we just can t wait that long," Gray says.
Possible short-term solutions include rebates for backflow preventers, which can help keep sewage from backing up during thunderstorms. The city is also aggressively inspecting and cleaning up sewer lines and catch basins in the area.
The task force will be led by the head of DC Water, George Hawkings, and City Administrator Alan Lew. The group's findings are due by the end of the year.
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