[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6688249,"mediaKeyId","2369465-b6098dd642916f76a2fefa40ec96f6dd","parentId",2369465,"title","Council grills DC Water on Washington Aqueduct ties after boil‑water advisories","audioSeconds",5842,"startMs",5358000,"endMs",11200000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2369465-b6098dd642916f76a2fefa40ec96f6dd&start=5358&end=11200","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2369465-b6098dd642916f76a2fefa40ec96f6dd/thumbnail_5358000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6688249/Council-grills-DC-Water-on-Washington-Aqueduct-ties-after-boilwater-advisories","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6688249-0845d72aba4272aa703259938daae730/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450583&Signature=m5U4zbAxJmF5AdKjauAmF3klce8z7VP6Njq2tg5hj7XQZGyA3u6lsquNdS1LF2EJAQugbfNXE1UWlnQLI69S1IR0SGXwoVeadam3OldLJr~o5WkeUxlYpGtqedrkQ1-NDVfmmeHlMwyOzzRN8ySVfUN17GksxgVruTNk5Nfs1oGx93P82Fy3PR3BVW4b76LnoImm4woOOaetX8FC9t5vDRFRW51ONW7IO6kdmPgcphXbd1dxeRVHQ0n5UqLQQYLwEZoxlG2B2UFSjm-98bI6vm6bCpfhOMiAGV1psaZaYOg1S9qvEUexIgLYVdBt1e~EDJYbmCnSXOIfQ86EldxZWQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","District of Columbia (Transportation and the Environment)","date","2025-02-20T00:00:00Z","article","Several committee members focused questions on the Washington Aqueduct, the federal source that supplies water to the District. DC Water leaders said two of the 2024 advisories were tied to external issues at the Washington Aqueduct — an algal bloom that reduced intake capacity and an instance where a valve operation upstream reduced flow to the city — and described the District’s limited direct control over the Aqueduct’s infrastructure.

DC Water’s account: CEO David Gaddis and operations chief Jeff Thompson said Washington Aqueduct lacked some treatment capacity (algae‑dosing capability) until recently and that DC Water’s visibility into daily Aqueduct operations is limited because the Aqueduct is federally operated. They said the authority is pressing for closer operational coordination and exploring proposals to station a DC Water liaison at the Aqueduct site. Committee members stressed the city’s vulnerability from relying primarily on the Aqueduct for treated water and asked what steps have been taken regionally to find a second source or increase storage; DC Water staff said it participates in Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) discussions and technical work on options such as increased storage, aquifer storage and recovery, water reuse and desalination.

Why it matters: Boil‑water advisories and sudden intake disruptions present immediate public‑health risks. The hearing underscored how the District’s water supply chain crosses municipal and federal lines of responsibility and that improvements in regional coordination and Aqueduct capability are central to reducing the risk of future advisories.

Ending: Council members asked DC Water to provide more frequent updates on Washington Aqueduct coordination, to deliver proposals or memoranda of understanding that would increase operational transparency, and to continue working with COG on secondary source and storage options.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","District of Columbia (Transportation and the Environment) - Committee on Transportation & the Environment, Performance Oversight Hearing, Charles Allen, Chairperson - Feb 20, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council members pressed DC Water about boil‑water advisories in 2024 tied to Washington Aqueduct operations and algal blooms, and asked how the District will reduce reliance on a single federal source of treated water.","taxTitle","Committee on Transportation and the Environment, Committees, Legislative, District of Columbia","taxId",15954,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6688254,"DC Water reports progress on Clean Rivers tunnels, cites climate and aging infrastructure risks",270,5472000,5742000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2369465-b6098dd642916f76a2fefa40ec96f6dd&start=5472&end=5742","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2369465-b6098dd642916f76a2fefa40ec96f6dd/thumbnail_5472000.jpg","/articles/6688254/DC-Water-reports-progress-on-Clean-Rivers-tunnels-cites-climate-and-aging-infrastructure-risks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6688254-de60040f590d31d0e399ceb52db96978/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450583&Signature=o8NPl9lgz0egD72szgLat~dByexMsi9OpYak7ZY6fyhcoxkOiSxfco0aekxTZU78vZt0cTIxqeqHIEPdNkZZRyHCJEPgiNS5gTxa4~Tb1LB~jAailhUXHmswqbtUxd7oaEp6XczqVFwd8PO~~mjOt7o5qSVY26PIDwXbu3GOtug8YtuoInpJ7eRQob~bXSfKE-n1wsfbej~XgiCRbbOSX539cxuy93Jp5QJuQtNYNhq9etBdW7QXhT9BW8545U2SH9oaYY-IsAvymALcxIyL7lXX5HW3a9My-4TGpopM8UGmoFEZKZlg5CHThnfl6klUqzaaWR6tBViT7FTvlzf9WQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","DC Water officials used the committee hearing to update members on the Clean Rivers project and system resilience. CEO David Gaddis described recent tunnel construction progress, cited substantial reductions in combined sewer overflow (CSO) events and stressed the system’s vulnerability to aging assets and extreme weather.

Results and metrics: DC Water provided high‑level performance figures for work completed through 2024: reductions in annual estimated CSO volumes, with system‑wide CSOs reduced by about 96% in the authority’s modeling and reductions to the Anacostia by about 98%, to the Potomac by about 93% and to Rock Creek by about 90% in an average rain year. DC Water also said the Clean Rivers program will reduce the frequency of flooding in low‑lying neighborhoods previously exposed to 15‑year storm risk and reduce nitrogen discharges to the Chesapeake Bay by roughly 1 million pounds per year once completed.

Operational context and risk: Officials told the committee the authority saw four precautionary boil‑water advisories in 2024 and that a major December main break involved a 30‑inch main that dated back to the Kennedy administration. DC Water leaders said aging assets, climate change and higher storm intensity will increase the probability of pressure events, main breaks and other shocks that create boil advisories or service interruptions. The authority described steps to increase resilience including capital planning, larger program financing, refining emergency communications and leveraging its credit rating to reduce debt costs (a 2024 refinancing the authority cited saved some $75 million of interest cost over 20 years).

Regional work and biosolids: DC Water said it participates in regional discussions about secondary water sources and storage and detailed its Clean Rivers work as a foundational climate‑adaptation investment. Sierra Club witness Larry Martin discussed DC Water’s biosolids product and PFAS concerns; he said phase‑1 of a report on cumulative risks from biosolid use would be presented to the committee in the year ahead.

Why it matters: The tunnel projects address long‑standing pollution and flooding problems and also pose significant multi‑decade financing and construction challenges. The committee asked for continued updates as work proceeds and sought clearer data to correlate tunnel progress with local flood reduction and water‑quality improvements.

Ending: DC Water promised further reporting and said it would provide data and updates on the Potomac River Tunnel and other Clean Rivers milestones at future committee meetings.","DC Water told the council it has made measurable progress on the Clean Rivers program — including large reductions in combined sewer overflow volume and milestones on the Potomac River Tunnel — while warning climate variability and aging mains will require sustained investment.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6688257,"Rising arrears and disconnections put affordability at center of DC Water oversight hearing",4789,5199000,9988000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2369465-b6098dd642916f76a2fefa40ec96f6dd&start=5199&end=9988","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2369465-b6098dd642916f76a2fefa40ec96f6dd/thumbnail_5199000.jpg","/articles/6688257/Rising-arrears-and-disconnections-put-affordability-at-center-of-DC-Water-oversight-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6688257-863536404f179ef3db356dd77d7393de/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450583&Signature=fZ0BwAj0djcj~QUBfaYJ8s6C4o-1XFpcPV2bkC8NIWC8OCsYky6-WTfEk4fjl-7nDaAQAWwbPblfSgdT2MNRS9Y3C8GpwHRRR58NA8k2U-Wt5UMwx3~RFlPiSEp-pnu6SbCDCA5F06scwsdu0sXkgy~3IyhB2p~m-quasNdzCJIvJ9UeLJJ2h8siarE9p-Doz3afW6MUm~hV3JWpzz7jeL6eAHMuA7mgNJyK-QR4KxuhzNgTUifsjOnHnIcWSfhvgxTJjr3kzTisvrfCV1YeX3yMoVvkWlPFnndSitHLgEtDec~yoeIwZcd4lLxSNRO7S8dQjZps3dq47N-X-6q3Ug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council members used the performance oversight hearing to press DC Water on household affordability, arrearages and the authority’s customer assistance programs. DC Water officials reported arrearages totalling about $36 million and said roughly 55% of the arrears are tied to multifamily (master‑metered) accounts. Committee members and witnesses pressed the utility for clearer protection of tenants and for improvements in landlord accountability.

Background and numbers: DC Water officials told the committee customer arrearages have grown substantially since the pandemic. CFO Matthew Brown said the authority’s past‑due totals had been roughly $12 million pre‑pandemic and are now about $36 million. The authority also reported a recent rise in residential disconnections (single‑household meters) versus multifamily disconnects: about 6,300 residential disconnections in 2024 versus far fewer multifamily disconnects over the same period. Council members and advocates flagged the inequity of turning off a single‑family customer while many master‑metered multifamily accounts can accumulate large unpaid balances that affect many residents.

DC Water’s response and programs: The authority described four tiers of its Customer Assistance Program (CAP), saying the newest tier (“CAP Plus”) launched Oct. 1 and had enrolled more than 1,000 customers by the hearing. DC Water said it has also introduced a “payment‑plan incentive” pilot: customers who enroll and make on‑time payments can receive a credit that is applied to arrears (a 40% matching credit applied periodically under the program). DC Water reported $5.2 million in assistance paid to 4,985 customers through DC Water Cares programs in the previous year and about $112,000 raised through the Splash fund to assist more than 300 customers.

Multifamily complication: Committee questioning underscored a structural challenge: many rental buildings are master‑metered, so individual tenants who pay rent and water‑included rent may nonetheless have the building’s account turn delinquent. Witnesses and council members asked whether the Office of the Attorney General and the council could develop more enforcement options for landlords who collect rent that includes bundled utilities but fail to pay DC Water. DC Water said it is developing more proactive notification to tenants in affected buildings and exploring legislative tools with council offices to reduce unfair outcomes. The authority said it will give advance notice to council offices before any multifamily disconnection.

Why it matters: Large arrears change who pays for the system — when some customers do not pay, costs can flow to other ratepayers. The committee signalled that disconnect policy, landlord accountability and expanded, accessible assistance programs are immediate priorities.

Ending: Council members asked DC Water to provide ward‑level arrears and repeated‑offender landlord data for follow‑up and signalled willingness to work on targeted appropriations and legislative fixes to reduce inequitable impacts on tenants.","Council members and community witnesses pressed DC Water on growing customer arrears, disconnection practices for multifamily buildings, and new or expanded assistance programs after arrears rose to roughly $36 million.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6688263,"DC Water cost estimates, funding and public messaging draw scrutiny at council hearing",5512,898000,6410000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2369465-b6098dd642916f76a2fefa40ec96f6dd&start=898&end=6410","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2369465-b6098dd642916f76a2fefa40ec96f6dd/thumbnail_898000.jpg","/articles/6688263/DC-Water-cost-estimates-funding-and-public-messaging-draw-scrutiny-at-council-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6688263-2072528dfa94a8569569e4ca6a8c566e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450583&Signature=gP5Tl6by7YXZByw8Qln5NSXW5Ilt90WFM7-sgRi7x~RE68pvU69SQjLEUx4GmPG3pH~ObMx4K6gs6tgSJPIR2mlI-SG0w2i1nX7Y6y5pYGScvGzD6e1ltHSnaJa~EuAFXmlja~Wq9G1MeW~3FjHfjMBd5kJAOAzXeDqC9fQfqocdaFJ5BLqlUK0IxZl7AAfiWw4Me2TE-X9sxtonuIMIE0w~5Akjwga41RyyRvUZWhylOtWYPIoM9vVs9QZ-U4Ivr-CkFRXI1iazsubhgjkoOCpQgmYcTavxsuERIt1AhR8kEos7TQloK7Z3Vix6eDfdx1z6dt0LrLH7W9~MXDTI0A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Ward 6 Council Member Charles Allen convened the Committee on Transportation and the Environment on Feb. 20 for a performance oversight hearing on the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water). Public witnesses — including activists from the Campaign for Lead Free Water, NAACP DC, Sierra Club and neighborhood ANCs — pushed the committee to scrutinize DC Water's latest cost estimates for replacing lead service lines, to prioritize low‑income and East‑of‑the‑River neighborhoods, and to adopt a formal, “filter‑first” public‑health messaging campaign while replacements proceed.

The most contested figure at the hearing was DC Water’s revised total program cost. Witnesses Yana Lambrinidou and Paul Schwartz of the Campaign for Lead Free Water and others said DC Water’s estimate has risen from about $1.5 billion to about $1.8 billion, a change that produces an average replacement cost near the $40,000 range per service line. Lambrinidou told the committee the per‑line figure “is orders of magnitude higher” than other U.S. jurisdictions and independent assessments; she and others pointed the committee toward a September 2022 independent review by Safe Water Engineering that estimated per‑line costs closer to $12,000–$15,000 in the District.

DC Water leaders defended their budgeting methodology and provided a line‑item breakdown to the committee. Kirsten Williams, DC Water’s executive sponsor for Lead Free DC, said the authority’s program average is roughly $20,000 per replacement when public and private scope are combined, with the private (household) work averaging about $4,400 and public restoration averaging about $8,200. She also provided program‑level shares used in DC Water’s modeling: construction 56%; construction management and inspection 16%; procurement/design/other 8%; outreach 6%; permitting/design 5%; program controls and program management together about 8%; marketing 1%. Williams told the committee the district’s street‑restoration rules and permitting costs raise average per‑replacement costs compared with some other jurisdictions.

Witnesses and council members pushed DC Water to explain where savings could be found. Public commenters suggested reducing or waiving permitting and street repair fees, coordinating block‑by‑block replacements rather than one‑off repairs, and excluding brass service‑line replacements where scientific and regulatory guidance shows lead risk is lower. Several witnesses argued the authority should require and fund the use of certified point‑of‑use filters as a near‑term protection, especially for SNAP and WIC recipients. Paul Schwartz and others urged the committee to create an independent citizen advisory group to review costs, contracts and procurement practices; they also asked the council to reengage independent reviewers such as Safe Water Engineering.

DC Water officials acknowledged the estimate movement and said part of the gap reflects District‑specific factors: denser streets where mains sit under pavement (leading to curb‑to‑curb restoration), high local restoration standards, and program elements such as inspection, outreach and data systems that are not always included in simplistic per‑line comparisons. CEO David Gaddis told the committee DC Water has replaced 7,787 of the roughly 42,000 service lines it estimates remain and described the work as requiring close coordination with DDOT, DCRA and other agencies.

Several witnesses emphasized equity and pace. Members of the NAACP DC Branch, the Green New Deal for DC, and ANC commissioners pressed DC Water and the committee to prioritize Wards 7 and 8 and other historically underserved neighborhoods, to freeze or avoid passing large costs onto ratepayers, and to ensure low‑income tenants and renters do not shoulder replacement costs. DC Water testified it has prioritized outreach and block‑by‑block campaigns in areas of greatest need and described partnerships with DDOT, DC Health and the District of Columbia Housing Authority intended to accelerate work.

Why it matters: replacing lead service lines is a long‑term, multi‑hundred‑million‑dollar public‑health program. The committee pressed DC Water on transparency, cost drivers and how much of the price tag could transfer to ratepayers if federal grants are reduced. Several witnesses warned an unfunded mandate that raises bills would be inequitable and urged the council to fund replacements so residents are not charged for remediation.

Ending note: Council members signalled they will continue seeking detail on per‑line cost composition, pursuing interagency permitting efficiencies with DDOT and DCRA, and exploring legislative options to pair funded replacement requirements with a formal “filter‑first” public‑education campaign. The committee’s hearing record remains open through March 6, 2025 for written testimony.

","Advocates, residents and DC Water officials clashed over the authority's $1.5–$1.8 billion cost estimate for replacing remaining lead service lines, the pace and equity of removals, and whether the city should require a \"filter first\" public-health approach while replacements proceed.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council grills DC Water on Washington Aqueduct ties after boil‑water advisories

DC Water reports progress on Clean Rivers tunnels, cites climate and aging infrastructure risks

Rising arrears and disconnections put affordability at center of DC Water oversight hearing

DC Water cost estimates, funding and public messaging draw scrutiny at council hearing