DC Water and SewerAuthority 

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Updated: 02:10 pm UTC, 14/10/2024

From the web site of the DC Water
and Sewer Authority: “From its inception in 1938 until 1996, the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Utility Administration was a part of the DC Government. In 1996, the DC Government and the U.S. Government collaborated to create the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DCWASA), a semiautonomous regional entity. Although DCWASA continues to maintain some ties with the DC Government, its finances are now separate. The Authority develops its own budget which is incorporated into the District’s budget and then forwarded to Congress. All funding for operations, improvements and debt financing now comes through usage fees, EPA grants and the sale of revenue bonds. The new organizational structure enables DCWASA to respond quickly to changes in the industry, to create its own regulations and policies for procurement, human resources and finances, to negotiate its own contracts and labor agreements and to sell bonds.

“DCWASA’s daily operations are controlled by a General Manager who reports to an 11-member Board of Directors. Six of the board members represent the District and five represent the adjoining jurisdictions, two members each from Prince Georges and Montgomery counties in Maryland and one from Fairfax County in Virginia. The Board met for the first time on September 26, 1996. The Board holds regular meetings on the first Thursday of the month. For information about Board or Committee meetings, which are open to the public,
contact the Board Secretary at 202-787-2330.

“DCWASA provides retail water and wastewater services to its residential and commercial customers in the District, with rates for these services set by the Authority’s District of Columbia Board Members. Wholesale wastewater treatment is provided to portions of Montgomery and Prince Georges counties in Maryland and Fairfax and Loudoun counties in Virginia, as well as to the town of Vienna, Virginia. These suburban jurisdictions pay the full cost for their use of facilities and services based on a funding formula in the Blue Plains Intermunicipal Agreement. DCWASA’s Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Plant, located in southwest Washington, is the largest advanced wastewater treatment facility in the world.

“The Authority buys its drinking water from the Washington Aqueduct, a division of the Army Corps of Engineers. The Aqueduct treats the water and DCWASA distributes it throughout the District.”
http://www.dcwasa.com/about/gen_overview.cfm.

DC WASA home page.

Lead Contamination Issue



Mayor Williams; Scott
Weiss, Brita Products Company, City Administrator Robert Bobb; and
Glenn Gerstell, Chairman, WASA; March 3, 2004 (photo by Lateef
Mangum, EOM)

City officials
announce interagency task force on lead in water, February 11,
2004
Glenn Gerstell, Jerry Johnson, Michael Marcotte, WASA

DC Council hearing: WASA officials Glenn Gerstell,
Jerry Johnson, William Marcotte, February 25, 2004 

Congressional hearing on WASA: Jerry Johnson,
Williams Marcotte, WASA; Benjamin Grumbles, Donald Welsh, EPA;
Glenn Gerstell, WASA, March 5, 2004
Tom Jacobus, Washington Aqueduct; Mayor Williams

Tom Jacobus, Washington Aqueduct, Mayor Williams

Daniel Lucey, Department of Health, March 10, 2004

  • US House of Representatives, Committee on Science and Technology,
    Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, “A
    Public Health Tragedy: How Flawed CDC Data and Faulty Assumptions
    Endangered Children’s Health in the Nation’s Capital,” May
    20, 2010
  • DC WASA, press release, press release, District drinking water meets
    federal requirements for lead levels, January
    10, 2006
  • DC WASA, press release, Inspector General report shows declining
    lead levels in water, June 20, 2005
  • DC WASA, press release, Glenn Gerstell to serve second term as DC
    WASA chairman, June 7, 2005
  • DC WASA, press release, Significant Milestone Reached in Reducing
    Lead in District Drinking Water, May 10, 2005
  • DC WASA, press release, additional lead and copper rule compliance
    sample results, March 11, 2005
  • DC WASA, press release, tests show lead levels continue to decline, March
    8, 2005
  • DC WASA, press release, WASA Data Shows Declining Lead Levels, January
    19, 2005
  • Committee on Public Works and the Environment, Report on the
    Investigation into the Conduct and Operations of the District of
    Columbia Water and Sewer Authority Relating to Lead in Drinking Water
    and Its Lead Service Replacement Program, December
    21, 2004
  • DC Appleseed Center, “Lead in the District of Columbia Drinking
    Water,” December
    8, 2004     (in PDF format, on the Center’s web site

  • Eric Holder, Covington & Burling, Summary of investigation
    reported to the Board of Directors of the District of Columbia Water
    and Sewer Authority, July
    16, 2004
  • DC WASA, treatment to address lead problem is modified, press
    release, May 27, 2004
  • US House of Representatives, Committee on Government Reform, Public
    Hearing: Thirsty for Results: Lessons Learned from the District of
    Columbia’s Lead Contamination Experience, May 21, 2004

  • Chemical treatment recommended to address lead problem, May
    19, 2004
  • Lead Free Drinking Water Act, S. 2377 and H.R. 4268, May
    4, 2004
  • Department of Health and DC WASA study of lead in water in DC public
    schools, April 29, 2004
  • Interagency Task Force on Lead in Drinking Water, final report, April
    22, 2004
  • Councilmember Carol Schwartz, press release, introduces bill to
    require water lead testing in apartment buildings, April
    20, 2004
  • WASA to install new pipes to increase water pressure and replace
    lead service pipes east of the river, April 12,
    2004
  • Interagency Task Force on Lead in Drinking Water, interim report, April
    9, 2004
  • DC WASA Board of Directors, resolution on replacement of lead
    service lines, #04-28, April 2, 2004
  • Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, press release, applauding
    belated EPA enforcement effort, April 2, 2004
  • Committee on Public Works and the Environment continuation of public
    hearing on performance oversight of the Water and Sewer Authority and
    its lead service replacement program, April 1, 2004

  • John Capacasa, US Environmental Protection Agency, letter to Jerry
    Johnson, DC WASA, notifying WASA of its noncompliance with the Lead
    and Copper Rule, March 31, 2004
  • John Capacasa, US Environmental Protection Agency, letter to Glenn
    Gerstell and Jerry Johnson, DC WASA, requesting information to
    determine compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, March
    31, 2004
  • Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, motion for a preliminary
    injunction against the DC Water
    and Sewer Authority, including draft order and press release, March
    26, 2004
  • DC WASA, advertisement in Washington Post for public hearing
    on proposed rate increase, March 25, 2004
  • US Environmental Protection Agency, additional clarification of letter
    sent on March 22, 2004 (below), March 24, 2004
  • Mayor Anthony Williams and Councilmember Carol Schwartz, letter to
    President George W. Bush requesting federal reimbursement to the
    District of Columbia and WASA for blood testing, water testing,
    communications, logistics support, and lead pipe replacement, March
    23, 2004
  • Press release, child admitted to DC hospital with elevated blood
    lead level, March 23, 2004
  • US Environmental Protection Agency, Region III, initial response to the
    March 17, 2004, letter from DC WASA, March 22,
    2004
  • Sense of the Council on District Payment for the Replacement of Lead
    Service Lines on District Residents’ Property Declaration Resolution
    of 2004, PR 15-787.
  • Sense of the Council on District Payment for the Replacement of Lead
    Service Lines on District Residents’ Property Emergency Declaration
    Resolution of 2004, PR 15-786
  • Citizen Water Utility Board Amendment Act of 2004, Bill
    15-753
  • DC Water and Sewer Authority, response to Environmental Protection
    Agency regarding elevated lead levels, March 19,
    2004
  • DC Water and Sewer Authority, WASA conducts annual water maintenance
    program, March 19, 2004
  • DC Water for Kids press release calling for federal funding for lead
    in water issue, March 18, 2004
  • Rep. Tom Davis, Rep. Henry Waxman, and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton,
    letter to Environmental Protection Agency on lead in water, March
    17, 2004
  • Committee on Public Works and the Environment continuation of public
    hearing on performance oversight of the Water and Sewer Authority and
    its lead service replacement program, March 17, 2004

  • Environmental Protection Agency, press release: EPA to WASA: Redraw
    Lead Samples from 2004, March 16, 2004
  • Mayor Anthony Williams, press release, shipping water filters
    directly to affected homes, March 16, 2004
  • Rep. Paul Gillmor, announcement of investigation of lead in water
    by House of Representatives Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous
    Materials, including letters to DC WASA, EPA, and GAO, March
    15, 2004
  • Councilmembers Harold Brazil press release calling for residential
    lead pipe replacement funding, March 15,
    2004 
  • Councilmember Adrian Fenty press release and letter to US Attorney
    Roscoe Howard calling for criminal investigation of DC WASA, March
    15, 2004
  • Department of Health, Blood Lead Levels as of February 3, 2004-March
    14, 2004
  • DC WASA, press release, summary of 2004 water testing results, March
    12, 2004
  • Department of Health, Blood Lead Levels as of February 3, 2004-March
    11, 2004
  • DC WASA, press release, lead levels decrease dramatically in retest
    of two homes with highest levels, March 11,
    2004
  • DC WASA, interim actions to respond to lead in drinking water issue,
    March 10, 2004
  • US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington Aqueduct, and DC WASA,
    Action Plan To Reduce the Occurrence of Lead Leaching
    from Service Lines, Solder, or Fixtures Into Tap Water In the District
    of Columbia And Arlington County and Falls Church, Virginia, March
    10, 2004

  • Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, suits against the DC Water
    and Sewer Authority, DC City Government, Environmental Protection
    Agency, and Army Corps of Engineers over lead in water, March
    8, 2004
  • US House of Representatives, Committee on Government Reform, hearing
    on lead in DC Water and Sewer Authority water, "Public Confidence, Down the
    Drain," March 5, 2004

  • Donald S. Walsh, Regional Administrator, US Environmental Protection
    Agency, letter to Robert Bobb, City Administrator, listing actions EPA
    believes WASA must undertake, March 4, 2004

    • Mayor Anthony Williams and Councilmember Carol Schwartz, letter
      to WASA Chairman Glenn Gerstell and Executive Director Jerry
      Johnson in response to EPA letter, March
      5, 2004
  • DC WASA, WASA Board Retains Law Firm to Review Management of
    Elevated Lead Levels in Water, press release, March
    4, 2004
  • Water for DC Kids press release, March 3,
    2004
  • DC WASA, lead
    service maps 
  • Committee on Public Works and the Environment Investigation into the
    Conduct and Operations of the District of Columbia Water and Sewer
    Authority Special Project Resolution of 2002, PR 15-___, passed March
    3, 2004
  • Carol Schwartz press release on letter to Senator James Inhofe and
    President George Bush requesting federal involvement in investigation
    of WASA lead contamination matter, February
    27, 2004

  • Water for DC Kids press release, February
    27, 2004
  • Lead in tapwater fact sheet from Office of the Mayor, February 27,
    2004
  • Lead in tapwater fact sheet from Department of Health, February
    27, 2004
  • Department of Health, letter sent to approximately 23,000 residences
    identified as having underground lead service pipes, February
    26, 2004
  • Natural Resources Defense Council, press release demanding emergency
    action on lead in water, February 26, 2004
  • Committee on Public Works and the Environment public roundtable on
    the lead service replacement program of 2004-2005, February 25, 2004

  • DC WASA Press release, “Extensive school water testing program confirms
    low levels of lead in DCPS schools and facilities,” February
    24, 2004
  • Elfreda Massie, interim superintendent, DC Public Schools, letter to
    parents and guardians on lead in the water at schools, February
    24, 2004
  • Mayor Anthony Williams, Councilmember Carol Schwartz write to Rep.
    Tom Davis requesting Congressional investigation into DC WASA lead
    contamination, February 14, 2004
  • Mayor Anthony Williams and Councilmember Carol Schwartz, letter to
    Rep. Tom Davis on lead in tap water, February
    13, 2004
  • Carol Schwartz, announces expanded committee investigation of WASA
    lead contamination matter, February 12, 2004
  • Councilmember Carol Schwartz, Talking Points for Water Quality Task
    Force Announcement, February 11, 2004
  • Interagency Task Force on Lead in Water, Draft, February
    10, 2004
  • DC Water and Sewer Authority, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
    (Extension of Lifeline Program to Tenants), February
    6, 2004
  • Committee on Public Works and the Environment public roundtable on
    the lead service replacement program of 2004-2005, February 4, 2004

  • DC Water and Sewer Authority, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (rate
    increase), from DC Register, January
    23, 2004