The long-running Soapstone sewer project is really, truly, actually complete

by Marlene Berlin

DC Water threw a party in May to celebrate the completion — after four years — of its Soapston Valley sewer rehabilitation and stream restoration project that was initially expected to last one and a half years when it started in March 2022.

But there was still a bit more to do. The old trail closure signage needed to be removed.

Soapstone trail closure signs in 2022…

…and in June 2026.

And the final step, a long-promised fence near the Albemarle trailhead where the path overlooks the outfall pool, was installed on June 25.

Mitchell Baer’s ANC district includes the Soapstone Valley, and he has been following the project and communicating closely with DC Water since he joined ANC 3F in 2022.

“I am very happy to see the completion of the project,” he told Forest Hills Connection. “Thanks to the community for the support and continuing efforts.”

In total, this was a 15-year project. The first planning report was released in 2011.

Forest Hills Connection kept the community informed throughout, covering community meetings and seeking answers from DC Water whenever questions came up about the methods and materials used and issues that cropped up through the years.

Central to the project was relining the more than century-old sewer pipes that had been slowly leaking sewage into Soapstone Creek. From the first community meetings there were many discussions about the technology that should be used to harden the plastic liners.

Some members of the community and the ANC advocated for UV, the newest technology, though not so new for Europe, which had been using this technology since 1985. It is also more expensive than the steam or hot water curing methods, but the final product is longer lasting.

DC Water went with hot water curing, an older technology and the most cumbersome. DC Water’s contractor did end up buying a UV company and started using it in the last phase of the project.

The final phase also included a new Albemarle Street manhole, which turned into a bigger project than DC Water had expected.

Neighbors on other streets that took on a heavier burden of traffic moaned and groaned
about a street closure that stretched from the projected two months to more than 15. But neighbors down Albemarle enjoyed the closure, and relationships blossomed among the adults and children and the community became more close-knit. Even now, as the traffic returns, the stitches have held.

Another project benefit is the many reconstructed stream crossings. Those of us who trek through Soapstone Trail on a regular or even irregular basis are no longer greeted by crossings washed out by the storms that usually visit us in the spring and summer.

And the greatest benefit of all: We have pipes that are not leaking sewage into the stream, hopefully for many years to come.

But that will depend on the DC Water doing regular inspections, cleaning and repairs that the pipes will require over the years.

In addition: “We will continue to monitor the newly planted trees,” Baer said, which the utility is obligated to water and otherwise maintain for another few years.

So this is not the last of DC Water in Soapstone Valley.