The Anacostia Watershed Society takes a strategic approach to reducing pollution in the Anacostia River. Ultimately, we aim to have zero waste generated by human activity entering the waterways.
Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) is essentially a “pollution diet” for a body of water.
Under the U.S. Clean Water Act, a TMDL is the maximum amount of a pollutant such as trash, sediment, and bacteria that a lake, river or stream can “digest” while still meeting water quality standards and remaining safe for its intended uses, such as swimming, fishing or drinking.
The maximum amount of pollutants that could enter a water body while still meeting the water quality standards will be allocated to each point source such as Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s). Then, EPA issues a MS4 permit that limits the amount of discharge of the allocated pollutant. This will help reduce the pollutant in a meaningful manner.
AWS has advocated for the establishment of TMDLs in the Anacostia River for:
- Trash
- Sediment and Total Suspended Solids (TSS)
- Bacteria (E. coli)
- Nutrients and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)
- Toxics (Organics and Metals)
Thanks to these TMDLs, AWS has seen significant water quality improvement in the Anacostia River.
Stormwater Reduction
The number-one cause of the pollution in the Anacostia watershed – an urban watershed – is stormwater. Stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces like roads, sidewalks and roofs carries all kinds of pollutants including trash, motor oil, metals, excessive fertilizer and road salt. Even wildlife feces – which would have stayed put in a forest or meadow – can wash off hard surfaces and into waterways whenever it rains. AWS advocated for passage of the Stormwater Management Act of 2007 in Maryland and similar legislation in the District.
It will take years to see the full impact of this legislation, because all runoff from impervious surfaces will have to be treated. However, based on USGS monitoring of stream discharge, a result of concentrated runoff, the degradation seems to have stopped and might even be improving.
Encouraging Greener Behavior
Picking up trash and debris from the river, parks, streams and our yards is a simple way to make a difference for the Anacostia River. Since AWS’s inception, we have organized cleanups and discouraged littering as quick and easy ways to make the river cleaner. We have partnered with area jurisdictions to work with the community to reduce illegal dumping of construction debris and car parts.
Reducing Pollution through Technology
Trash traps are an intermediate solution to the Anacostia River’s trash problems. AWS has installed a trash trap at Nash Run designed and engineered by our water quality specialist Masaya Maeda. They can remove thousands of pounds of both floatable and non-floatable trash in the area they serve. In the first two years, our trash trap caught over 3,000 pounds of trash. We found that seventy percent of trash pieces do not float. While our Nash Run trap can capture this type of non-floatable trash, most traps can’t. The more complete and sustainable solution is to reduce trash at its source. Learn more about our trash traps.
