WASHINGTON — Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe wants to give Alexandria more time to stop millions of gallons of raw sewage that flow into the Potomac River from the city’s four outfalls.
An amendment proposed by McAuliffe to a bill approved last month by the General Assembly would set a 2027 deadline to complete the $400 million project, which could be extended to 2030.
The General Assembly bill would have required the city to complete work by July 1, 2025.
Alexandria leaders said in a statement that they appreciate McAuliffe’s suggestion to give them the extra time, given the scale of the work.
The city plans to multiply sewer-related fees by more than five times over the next decade to cover much of the cost.
Lawmakers will take up the proposal next week when they return for what is typically a one-day session to address all of the amendments proposed by the governor to bills that were passed during the regular session that ended Feb. 25. They’ll also hold override votes for the governor’s vetoes.
While McAuliffe has vetoed more bills than any previous Virginia governor, none of his vetoes has been overridden.
