District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority

Drinking water

In 1852, Congress commissioned the construction of an aqueduct system to provide a reliable supply of drinking water to the district from the Potomac River. The US Army Corps of Engineers designed and built the Washington Aqueduct, which began full operation in 1864. Filtration plants were added to the system in the 20th century.

Wastewater treatment

In 1938, the District of Columbia built a sewage treatment plant in the Blue Plains area, at the southernmost tip of DC. The cost was $4 million. The plant was built to stop raw sewage from entering the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers. At that time, the plant was built to treat sewage from a population of 650,000, with a capacity of 100 million gallons per day (mgd). By 1943, the population grew to 1.5 million people, contributing much more sewage, and upgrades to the plant were necessary. Secondary treatment units were added in 1959, with an expanded discharge capacity of 240 mgd. In the 1970s a major expansion commenced that led to construction of advanced wastewater treatment components, and by 1983 the capacity was 300 mgd. In addition to Washington, the plant serves several adjacent communities in Maryland and Virginia.

Agency reorganization and name change

Drinking water and sewage treatment services were initially provided by the District of Columbia government. DC Water was established as an independent agency in 1996 by the District Government and the U.S. federal government.

In 2010, under new leadership, the Authority underwent a rebranding effort. The rebranding included a new logo, a new color palette, and a new name. Since its inception, the Authority had been doing business as DC Water. The legal name of the agency remains the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority.

Service area

DC Water provides more than 600,000 residents, 16.6 million annual visitors, and 700,000 people employed in the District of Columbia with water, sewage collection, and treatment. The agency also provides wholesale wastewater treatment for 1.6 million people in Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland, and Fairfax and Loudoun counties in Virginia.

Operations

A General Manager and CEO is responsible for all daily operations and reports to the DC Water Board of Directors. The current GM/CEO is David L. Gadis.

DC Water purchases drinking water from the Washington Aqueduct division of the Army Corps of Engineers. The Aqueduct sources the water from the Potomac River at Great Falls and Little Falls, north of the District. The Aqueduct treats the water, and DC Water distributes it through 1,300 miles (2,100 km) of water pipes throughout the District of Columbia.

DC Water also manages over 1,800 miles (2,900 km) of sewer lines and operates the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant. The plant discharges to the Potomac River at the southernmost tip of the District.