Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant

The Blue Plains facility, located on the Potomac in southwest Washington, is the largest advanced wastewater treatment plant in the world by capacity and serves the District and surrounding regional jurisdictions. The site has functioned as the region's primary sewage treatment complex since the early 20th century and has been repeatedly upgraded to add advanced nutrient removal and treatment technologies. Its infrastructure includes extensive treatment basins, settling tanks, and outfall tunnels that discharge treated effluent into the Potomac. Blue Plains is a major piece of long-standing municipal sanitation infrastructure for the capital region.