Starting Thursday, Scott’s Run Nature Preserve in McLean will close for about six weeks as Fairfax County makes emergency repairs to two of three wastewater pipes.
The closure includes the east and west parking areas and trails, according to Fairfax County.
The pipes, also known as siphons, carry wastewater across the Potomac River and through Carderock National Park to get to DC Water’s Potomac Interceptor in Maryland. Two of the pipes are not operational.
On the Maryland side, Parking Lot C at Carderock will be closed for the contractor to stage equipment.
Specialized equipment has been brought in from another part of the country to clean the pipes and make the emergency repairs, according to Fairfax County. Work crews and equipment will need to access the trail, which will make it unsafe for pedestrians.
“An emergency repair is necessary, as there is no reasonable bypass alternative if the last pipe fails, which would mean millions of gallons of sewage per day going into the Potomac,” according to a news release.
An estimated 80,000 tons of sediment will be removed from the siphon structure. It will be trucked out daily from the site, according to the Fairfax County Department of Public Works.
The county said the work involves “removing sediment from a valve vault, replacing the vales, and cleaning the siphon barrels. Valve vault cleaning and valve work will take place in Scott’s Run Nature Preserve. Siphon barrel cleaning will take place in Carderock National Park.”
The county said there will be a second closure of the park to finish the maintenance repairs. A date for that closure has yet to be set.
In total, the Scott’s Run Nature Preserve project will take six to nine months to complete.
Feature image courtesy Fairfax County Park Authority
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