Potomac River Tunnel Project
Client: DC Water
Location: Washington, D.C
Project Value: $819M
Market: Water & Wastewater / Underground & Tunneling
Services: Construction Management, Resident Engineering, Construction Inspection, QA/QC, Project Coordination, Program Management Support
Key Features: 5.5-mile, 21-foot diameter deep sewer tunnel, tunnel boring machine (TBM) excavation, diversion structures, drop shafts, geotechnical monitoring, and connection to the existing Anacostia River Tunnel.
The Potomac River Tunnel is the next major phase of DC Water's Clean Rivers Program, a long-term initiative designed to dramatically reduce combined sewer overflows into the Potomac River. The project consists of a 5.5-mile-long deep sewer tunnel and associated diversion facilities that capture combined wastewater and stormwater during wet weather events and convey the flow to the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant for treatment. Construction began in 2024 and is expected to be completed in 2030. The project will reduce combined sewer overflows into the Potomac River by approximately 93 percent, significantly improving water quality and supporting compliance with the District's federal consent decree.
Major project components include deep shafts, diversion structures, tunnel boring operations, hydraulic structures, and supporting utility infrastructure constructed beneath some of Washington, D.C.'s most densely developed and environmentally sensitive areas.
EPC Consultants serves as the Prime Construction Manager for the Potomac River Tunnel Project, providing comprehensive construction-phase services including resident engineering, construction inspection, contractor coordination, quality assurance, schedule oversight, and technical management. EPC's multidisciplinary team works closely with DC Water and project stakeholders to support the successful delivery of one of the nation's largest environmental infrastructure projects.