The Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant is the main wastewater treatment facility for the District of Columbia. Operated by D.C. Water, it is the largest "advanced" wastewater treatment facility in the world. The plant's design features the incorporation of tertiary sewage treatment; the effluent discharged by the plant into the Potomac River is nearly indistinguishable from drinking-quality water.
Sewage treatment has existed on this site since 1938, and the facility has undergone several upgrades and expansions since its establishment.