Last June, days of heavy rain flooded the downtown area, sticking the IRS building with a $30 million cleanup bill and costing millions more in disruption of business. Government officials met yesterday to discuss how they might prevent a Deluge ’07 (or, more realistically considering we’re already in the midst of the summer storm season, a Deluge ’08 or ’09) from wreaking as much havoc as Deluge ’06 most certainly did, especially in regards to the National Mall.

The Mall is one of the lowest areas in D.C. and is flat, which makes it prone to flooding. It also sits on top of land saturated by old streams. Add to the mix 200-year-old storm drains, and it’s no wonder that pools of water were lapping at the doors of government buildings last year.

The best fix would be an overhaul of the sewer system, but it would also be the most costly, with price estimates in the billions. Less expensive, temporary solutions, such as pumping water away from the Mall, might protect some of the buildings that sustained damage last year, but would create new problems. (For instance, where would the water go?)

With apparently little consensus on how to prevent another flood, this summer’s storm season may bring a similarly high price tag as last year’s.

Photo by Grundlepuck