Economic Benefits

A clean Anacostia provides real financial benefit to its local community.

The Anacostia River is more than a natural habitat for fish, birds, and mammals. There is real economic value to having a healthy river within a community. Here are some of the ways a healthy Anacostia is an economic engine for the communities that surround it:

• In an opening ceremony to DC’s new Wharf, which resides along the Anacostia River, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said, “The Wharf will produce nearly 6,000 permanent jobs and provide $94 million in direct annual tax revenue to the District.”

• According to the Value of Water, every single dollar spent on infrastructure improvements generates six times as much in returns to the community.

• The Value of Water campaign also notes that keeping rivers like the Anacostia clean is a jobs creator. The campaign has stated that every job in the wastewater sector dedicated to keeping waterways clean supports nearly four times as many jobs outside the sector.