Home

National Park Service Rejects City’s Proposal for Pump Station in Waterfront Park!

US Department of the Interior and National Park Service Says NO to Pump Station in Waterfront Park!

Alexandria Times Article – click HERE

The City of Alexandria has posted the NPS letter on their website – click HERE

Join the Fight Against the Pumping Station in Alexandria’s Waterfront Park!

Sign the Petition

Over 4,200 of your neighbors have signed the petition so far, either online or on paper. 
Add your name now!

Help us protect the beauty of Alexandria’s Waterfront Park by opposing the proposed pumping station. Your voice matters in this community campaign, and together we can make a difference for our environment and future generations.

Your signature on a distributed petition or the online petition below addressed to the city council can help us show the city that we care about preserving our parks and community spaces.

The Paws Event

Stand Up for Our Park

Join the Fight Against the Pumping Station

These images are drawings of the proposed pump station that will destroy all the mature trees and take up 1/3 of the park. Help protect Alexandria’s Waterfront Park from the proposed pumping station. Your voice matters in this community campaign!

Arguments against the Proposed Pumping Station

See the December 2025 Realistic Cost Analysis on the Alternative Solutions page, or click HERE.

  • Loss of precious public park space
    • Will take up almost 1/3 of Waterfront Park
    • Stands 33 feet high, 48 feet wide and 96 feet long
  • Obstruction views of historic district and waterfront
    • Will force the Providence Tall Ship to relocate
    • Design is an industrial building which does not fit the surrounding historic building
  • Destruction of large, beautiful, mature trees
    • Will eliminate treasured trees in the park which have been there for decades
    • Loss of needed shaded areas
  • Millions of taxpayer’s dollars used on an unnecessary Pump Station
    • Estimated to upward of $148 million and not sure it will fix the flooding problem
  • Toxic diesel tanks and noisy industrial equipment in a waterfront park
    • Will have diesel tanks 18 feet below ground level which could harm the environment
    • Noisy equipment in a tranquil area

City Council: Use Less Costly, Destructive & Disruptive Alternatives

  • Implement the 2014 Approved Waterfront Plan
    • Improve the park, bulkhead and streetscapes
    • Elevate parks above 6 foot bulkhead and street/sidewalks above 4 feet.
    • Replace 75 year old pipes with larger, newer pipes
  • Utilize mobile and new flood mitigation techniques
    • Use temporary flood barriers and mobile pumps, which are used worldwide
  • Eliminate Union Street pipes
    • Install new east/west drainage infrastructure
  • Re-examine alternative pump station locations and or design
    • Assess 1 Prince Street location
    • Design a smaller pump stations architecturally compatible with the historic district
  • Consider public grants to assist property owners and businesses with mitigation plans

Protect our Waterfront Park

1/3 of the park will be paved over!

These are some of trees to be cut down:

No Caption
No Caption
Pumping Station: Stands 33 feet high, 48 feet wide and 96 feet long

Read the letter to the City council from the Waterfront Alliance –Click Here

★★★★★

We strongly oppose the proposed pumping station in Waterfront Park. This beautiful space is vital for our community, providing a place for recreation and relaxation. The environmental impact of such a project would be detrimental, and we must protect our parks for future generations. I urge everyone to join this campaign and stand against this proposal, ensuring our voices are heard and our community remains vibrant and green.

Save Alexandria Waterfront Park

Dear Neighbor

To the Alexandria Mayor, City Council, and Board of Architectural Review:

We strongly oppose constructing a large pumping station in Waterfront Park, parallel to Prince Street or any other city park.

Our reasons include:

  • It will destroy open green space and cut down beautiful mature trees
  • It will diminish the historic character of the Old Town Alexandria waterfront
  • It is incompatible with the intended public use of the park and the city’s commitment to environmental stewardship
  • There are alternative locations that should be considered, such as nearby city-owned property or underground placements that do not disturb surface parkland

We urge the City to:

  • Halt all plans to place the pumping station in Waterfront Park
  • Seek community input for alternative locations
  • Protect public green space for future generations

Note: We use your email as a unique ID to prevent duplicate signatures

Do more to Help!

Write a personal letter to the Mayor and member of the city council and in your words explain

  • Why you oppose a construction of a pump station in Waterfront Park, and
  • Why you support some of the viable alternatives that protect out public green space

Where to send your letter:

  • Via email to the City Council : CouncilComment@alexandriava.gov 
  •  By mail to: City of Alexandria, Office of the City Clerk, 301 King Street, Suite 2300, Alexandria, VA 22314. 

Please share this website and issue via the social links below and mail your Alexandria neighbors and friends to make them aware of the danger to our park.

Scroll to Top