There is no active spill or overflow. Work to strengthen the pipe to begin soon.
Today, DC Water completed construction on a temporary bypass system as part of sewer repairs on the Potomac Interceptor near Pennyfield Lock in Potomac, Maryland. Crews turned on the pumps and successfully tested the system. With the bypass now ready, it will allow us to begin the emergency repairs inside the pipe by ...
Today, DC Water broke ground on the Piney Branch Tunnel, the final major tunnel in our Clean Rivers Project. This work will help keep sewage and trash out of local waterways and make Rock Creek, the Potomac River, and the Chesapeake Bay cleaner for our community.
When we finish the Piney Branch Tunnel, it will hold at least 4.2 million gallons of rainwater and wastewater during heavy storms ...
Starting the week of July 13, 2026, people who live, work or travel near the Canal Road NW entrance to Georgetown University may hear controlled blasting. This work is part of our Potomac River Tunnel Project.
When blasting happens, neighbors may hear a brief noise or feel light shaking. Drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians on Canal Road NW may also be stopped for a few minutes while we safely ...
DC Water will continue daily Potomac River water quality testing through July 31. The testing is part of ongoing monitoring after the January 19 collapse of a section of the Potomac Interceptor, a major sewer line. Testing had been expected to move to weekly after the July 4 holiday period.
Customers, residents, and river users will continue to receive daily testing results while the Maryland ...
As the District gets ready for Independence Day celebrations and America's 250th events, DC Water is taking steps to keep everyone safe and make sure that water and wastewater service runs smoothly over the holiday.
This year’s preparations come as the region faces an extreme heat wave. These conditions with the potential for record breaking temperatures across the region can pose health risks and ...
As DC Water’s Board of Directors considers proposed rate increases for the upcoming 2027 and 2028 fiscal years, we’re asking customers to provide feedback during a public hearing on Tuesday, June 23 at 6:30 p.m.
The proposed rate changes would support critical investments in safe, reliable drinking water, replacement of aging water and sewer lines, cleaner local waterways, and continued lead ...
Public Encouraged to Provide Comment through June 23
DC residents who want to replace their lead service lines may soon have more options to do it sooner—without having to wait for construction to reach their block. While the Lead Free DC Program replaces lead service lines at no cost, DC Water has proposed two updates to its program that would make it easier and faster for some residents to get ...
DC Water will host a virtual community meeting on Thursday, June 11, 2026, to inform residents and other stakeholders about the emergency rehabilitation of a section of the Potomac Interceptor at Muddy Branch in Potomac, Maryland.
Measures are in place to help protect downstream drinking water infrastructure
DC Water is accelerating rehabilitation work on a section of the Potomac Interceptor at Muddy Branch near Pennyfield Lock (Lock 22) in Potomac, Maryland. Inspections found structural deterioration, including significant corrosion and exposed rebar, that requires immediate attention.
Following a 27-day closure, DC Water will reopen a section of Piney Branch Parkway between Arkansas Avenue and Beach Drive NW early Monday morning, restoring an important cross-town connection for thousands of District commuters. During the closure, a section of the road was temporarily relocated for construction of DC Water’s Piney Branch Tunnel Project.
