Commissioner Hugh Youngblood Advisory Neighborhood Commission 5C Single Member District 5C03 Bloomingdale

26 September 2012

Summary Results of the DC Council Committee on Environment, Public Works, and Transportation Public Oversight Roundtable on Flooding in the Bloomingdale Neighborhood
Storing Millions of Gallons of Storm Water at McMillan Park
Dear Neighbors, Yesterday's hearing of the DC Council Committee on Environment, Public Works, and Transportation yielded lots of interest in using the existing infrastructure at McMillan Park to store millions of gallons of storm water to mitigate the risk of downstream flooding and sewage backups in Bloomingdale and LeDroit Park. DC Water testified that storm water storage at McMillan Park is a very viable solution that they can potentially implement within a year's time. They are continuing to refine engineering studies for this initiative and initially assess that it would yield significant improvement. They are also confident that they can fund the initiative. Councilmembers Cheh and Graham eagerly embraced the proposal to use McMillan Park infrastructure as a near-term solution and focused on it as the best opportunity to give hope back to the people. Councilmember Cheh strongly encouraged DC Water General Manager, George Hawkins, to make storm water storage at McMillan Park his agency's # 1 priority. We will share more information as it becomes available. Thank you, Hugh -Hugh Youngblood ANC, SMD 5C03 202.630.2262 @ANC5C03