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Inside the DC plant processing hundreds of millions of gallons of waste water

Earth Month: Behind-the-scenes look at DC's Blue Plains water recycling plant

Do you ever think about what happens to all that water you flush down the toilet — or that goes down the sink?

In today’s episode of “Matt About Town,” WTOP’s Matt Kaufax is back at DC Water’s Blue Plains treatment plant with a look at how the D.C. area’s waste water actually gets recycled and put back into the Potomac River.

Each day, 320 million gallons of raw sewage comes through massive pipes into the plant. That’s enough to fill up RFK Stadium every 24 hours. The process of treating this sludge is nothing short of a modern science miracle.

Come along with Matt to learn about how Blue Plains not only creates crystal clear water, but also produces clean carbon energy from waste, making our planet a greener place.

Hear “Matt About Town” first every Tuesday and Thursday on 103.5 FM!

If you have a story idea you’d like Matt to cover, email him, or chat with him on Instagram and TikTok.

Check out all “Matt About Town” episodes here!

National Zoo flamingo overcomes social anxiety to spread her wings!

Follow WTOP’s Matt Kaufax as he explores hidden gems, local landmarks and unique stories across the D.C. area every week. New episodes of WTOP's "Matt About Town" segment are released each Tuesday and Thursday. A National Zoo bird who once wanted to be a human — and even regularly attended staff meetings with her keepers for over a year — is finally spreading her wings.
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