Newsroom
For Immediate Release
Friday, January 15, 2010
Contact: Shannon Whalen McDaniel 703-228-3685 (voice) 703-228-4611(TTY)
Arlington Residents Cautioned to Avoid Contact with Water in Stretches of Doctor’s Branch and Four Mile Run Streams
County officials take steps following discovery of sewage release near Alcova Heights Park
ARLINGTON, Va. – Arlington County on Friday advised residents to avoid water downstream of a sewage release in Doctor’s Branch stream. The area to avoid begins at Alcova Heights Park and continues through Four Mile Run at Barcroft Park to the Potomac River. This is a precautionary measure following the discovery of sewage mixed with groundwater discharging from a storm sewer pipe in Alcova Heights Park. The source of the sewage is under investigation.
Arlington County alerts residents
Residents are advised to stay away from the affected waters and to keep their pets away until further notice, to eliminate the risk of exposure to untreated sewage. Residents should not fish in the streams or have any contact with the waters – including wading or swimming – until further notice from the County. The advisory to avoid all contact is considered an extra precaution to allow the effect of the discharge to be diminished by natural flushing of the streams. The recreational areas affected include the following parks adjacent to the streams: Alcova Heights, Doctor’s Run, Barcroft, Shirlington, Jennie Dean, Allie Freed and Bicentennial Gardens.
The County has posted flyers along the affected areas of Doctor’s Branch and Four Mile Run.
NOTE: Residents are reminded that stream water can contain microorganisms that can make people sick, whether the stream is located in an urban area or in the middle of a forest. Even after the discharge is naturally flushed from the streams, the County’s normal precautions for safe use of streams apply. You can find information and safety tips on Arlington streams, including information on reporting stream pollution incidents, on the Arlington County Department of Environmental Services Web site.
Arlington, Va., is a world-class residential, business and tourist location that was originally part of the "10 miles square" parcel of land surveyed in 1791 to be the Nation's Capital. It is the geographically smallest self-governing county in the United States, occupying slightly less than 26 square miles. Arlington maintains a rich variety of stable neighborhoods, quality schools and enlightened land use, and received the Environmental Protection Agency's highest award for "Smart Growth" in 2002. Home to some of the most influential organizations in the world - including the Pentagon - Arlington stands out as one of America's preeminent places to live, visit and do business.
