Virginia House Rejects Governor's Alexandria Sewer Amendments

The House of Delegates on Wednesday voted down McAuliffe’s amendments to a bill that requires a fix by 2025. The governor wanted to push the deadline back as far as 2030 if certain conditions were met.

Part of Alexandria’s sewer system gets overwhelmed during almost any type of wet weather, sending untreated waste into nearby waterways and on to the Potomac River many of times each year.

Many lawmakers felt the wealthy city wasn’t moving quickly enough to address the problem. Alexandria has said the bill’s deadline is impossible to meet.

The chamber voted on whether to enroll the bill its current form without sending it back to the governor, but fell several votes short. McAuliffe now must decide whether to veto or approve it.