2 Years Of Rate Increases Proposed By AlexRenew Amid Continued RiverRenew Project

ALEXANDRIA, VA — In addition to fees and rates set by Alexandria City Council in the city budget, residents have to monitor rates set by a separate utility provider.

AlexRenew, the wastewater servicer for Alexandria, proposed a 5 percent increase to sewer rates starting on July 1, 2025 and another 5.7 percent increase starting July 1, 2026. That's part of the utility's proposed $258.3 million fiscal year 2026 budget, which includes $96 million of continued expenses for the RiverRenew project. The utility attributed the rate increases to funds supporting the RiverRenew project.

AlexRenew will have a public hearing on its budget at 9:30 a.m. on May 17. The public has a chance to provide comment at the meeting or by email to Lorna Huff, board executive assistant, at Lorna.Huff@alexrenew.com. The meeting will also be livestreamed.

The RiverRenew project is a massive undertaking to remediate Alexandria's old combined sewer outfalls and prevent pollution into waterways, per a Virginia General Assembly requirement. The combined sewer outfalls, serving about 6 percent of Alexandria, date back to the 1860s and risk sending sewage to the Potomac River, Hooffs Run and Hunting Creek when it rains.

New infrastructure from the RiverRenew project will instead capture the wastewater and send it to treatment before the water enters the Potomac River. AlexRenew expects project completion in 2026.

In 2024, AlexRenew met a project milestone of completing the 2.2-mile waterfront tunnel and Hooffs Run interceptor. Work is now focused on constructing pumping stations at the treatment plant.