D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10-A, § 611
611.1 Washington, DC’s drinking water is sourced from the Potomac River. While there have not been any water supply issues, severe drought conditions could stress the Potomac River. With competing demands in the watershed during the next 20 years, the District should explore opportunities for water security in close coordination with DC Water. These efforts should include community participation, and specifically consider water security needs for communities of color, low-income, and other vulnerable populations.
611.2 DC Water encourages customers to use water wisely and has a number of programs aimed at changing consumer behavior and improving service reliability. Looking to the future, a sustained effort by DC Water and other District agencies will be necessary to reduce water waste and maximize conservation, particularly because water treatment is energy-intensive and contributes to GHG emissions. DC Water’s High Water Usage Alert (HUNA) system notifies residents when water usage is higher than normal and helps them track and stay informed about their water usage.
See the Infrastructure Element for more information on water supply.
Both greywater and blackwater are types of wastewater. Greywater is water that may contain chemicals or contaminants that may be harmful to humans. Greywater can come from shower, sink, and dishwasher drains. Blackwater is contaminated water from flood and sewage waters. Blackwater can come from a flooded river or a backed-up toilet or sewage line. Blackwater can contain harmful contaminants like bacteria, mold, and viruses that can be extremely harmful to humans.
Promote water conservation efforts in Washington, DC. This conservation will be necessary to keep current overall consumption levels as the District continues to grow.
Continue DC Water’s efforts to reduce water loss from leaking mains, including reducing the backlog of deferred maintenance, using audits and monitoring equipment to identify leaks, performing expeditious repairs of leaks, and instructing customers on procedures for detecting and reporting leaks. Incorporate smart infrastructure that provides automatic feedback to identify irregularities in the system, leading to greater leak detection and swifter repair.
Support efforts by the Construction Code Coordinating Board and the Green Building Advisory Council (GBAC) to strengthen building, plumbing, and landscaping standards and codes in order to identify possible new water conservation measures.
Work collaboratively with DC Water and other partners to launch a large-scale marketing and educational campaign, bringing greater awareness to the need for water conservation, and to the savings achievable through conservation and use of efficient technology, and to achieve a reduction in the daily per capita consumption of water resources. This per capita reduction is needed to maintain Washington, DC’s total water consumption level as the District grows. Special efforts should be made to reach low-income customers and institutional users. Engage the public, particularly low-income residents and communities of color, in programs for water conservation and water security.
Explore mechanisms to create a water conservation financial incentive program. Similar to energy efficiency and renewable energy incentives, consider a program that creates stronger incentives for residents, small businesses, and private development to use less water in daily operations. The program should include both landscaping and building efficiency.
Explore the use of distributed rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling to reduce demand on potable water systems during shortages or disruptions.
SOURCE: District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; 31 DCR 1049 (March 9, 1984)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Element Amendment Act of 1984, effective March 16, 1985 (D.C. Law 5-187; 32 DCR 873 (February 15, 1985)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-129; 37 DCR 55 (January 5, 1990)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989 NCPC-Recommended Amendments, and Closing of Public Alleys in Square 669, S.O. 88-452, Act of 1990, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-132; 37 DCR 2213 (April 6, 1990)); as amended by District Government Land Use Temporary Amendment Act of 1994, effective October 1, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-190; 41 DCR 5360 (August 12, 1994)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1994, effective October 6, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-193; 41 DCR 5536 (August 19, 1994)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Amendment Act of 1994, effective March 21, 1995 (D.C. Law 10-235; 42 DCR 30 (January 6, 1995)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1996 effective April 18, 1996 (D.C. Law 11-110; 43 DCR 530 (February 9, 1996)); as amended by Second Technical Amendments Act of 1996 effective April 9, 1997 (D.C. Law 11-255; 44 DCR 1271 (March 7, 1997)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 1998, effective April 27, 1999 (D.C. Law 12-275; 46 DCR 1441 (February 19, 1999)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1999, effective April 12, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-91; 47 DCR 520 (January 28, 2000)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2006, effective March 8, 2007 (D.C. Law 16-300; 54 DCR 924 (February 2, 2007)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 2008, effective March 25, 2009 (D.C. Law 17-353; 56 DCR 1117 (February 6, 2009)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2010, effective April 8, 2011 (D.C. Law 18-361; 58 DCR 908 (February 4, 2011)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2021, effective August 21,
2021 (D.C. Law 24-20; 68 DCR 006918 (July 16, 2021)).