DC Water
DC Water is the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority, a public utility providing drinking water distribution and wastewater collection and treatment services to over 700,000 residents and businesses in Washington D.C. and select Maryland jurisdictions under regulated rates and municipal bond financing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1909
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What DC Water does
DC Water, officially the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority, is a public utility authority providing drinking water distribution and wastewater collection and treatment services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers across Washington, D.C. The utility serves over 700,000 residents and businesses and also treats wastewater for neighboring jurisdictions including Montgomery County and Prince George's County in Maryland through intermunicipal agreements. It operates the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant, one of the largest advanced wastewater treatment facilities in the world, employing biological nutrient removal, enhanced clarification, and disinfection processes.
DC Water's core revenue stream is volumetric water charges, sewer fees, and fixed service charges billed monthly to all customers within its service territory, with rates set through a regulatory ratemaking process approved by its Board of Directors. The utility supplements ratepayer revenue with municipal bond financing, including green bonds recognized with the 2026 Environmental Finance Green Bond of the Year award. Major multi-year capital programs include the $2 billion Lead Free DC initiative to replace lead service lines, the $819 million Potomac River Tunnel project awarded to Halmar International, and the broader Clean Rivers Project encompassing the Northeast Boundary Tunnel and Piney Branch Storage Tunnel.
The utility operates advanced infrastructure technology including a partnership with RedZone Robotics deploying Solo autonomous robots to inspect approximately 4 million feet of small-diameter sewer lines, and a partnership with THINK Fluid Dynamix applying CFD-DEM numerical modeling to optimize Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor systems at Blue Plains. Additional service lines include stormwater management, the Pure Water DC water recycling initiative, biosolids management, industrial pretreatment programs, and fire hydrant services.
DC Water firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DC Water
- Legal name
- DC Water and Sewer Authority
- Website
- https://dcwater.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1909
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- DC Water is the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority, a public utility providing drinking water distribution and wastewater collection and treatment services to over 700,000 residents and businesses in Washington D.C. and select Maryland jurisdictions under regulated rates and municipal bond financing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DC Water industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Municipal Water and Wastewater Utility Services
- NAICS
- Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Utilities (22)
- SIC
- Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Treatment & Wet-Weather Capacity (EUANADAF), Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) Utilities (Advanced Treatment & Blending) (EUANAGAC), Raw Water Conveyance & Transmission (Aqueducts, Mains, Pumping Stations) (EUANAAAB)
Keywords
Where DC Water is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
DC Water business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Others, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Water and Sewer Utility Services: DC Water generates revenue primarily through water and sewer service fees charged to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Washington D.C. Revenue is derived from volumetric water charges, sewer fees, and fixed service charges based on meter size or property characteristics. Rates are set through a regulatory ratemaking process.
- Green Bond Financing: DC Water issues municipal green bonds to finance capital improvement projects, particularly the DC Clean Rivers Project including the Potomac River Tunnel. The Green Bond of the Year award by Environmental Finance recognizes leadership in sustainable municipal financing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Residential Water and Sewer Rates |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
DC Water product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DC Water provides drinking water distribution, wastewater collection, and advanced wastewater treatment services to residents and businesses of Washington, D.C. The utility also operates the Lead Free DC program (free lead service line replacement), the Clean Rivers Project (including the Potomac River Tunnel and Northeast Boundary Tunnel) for combined sewer overflow reduction, stormwater management, biosolids processing, and an industrial pretreatment program.
Product overview
DC Water (District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority) operates as a public utility providing comprehensive water and wastewater services to the District of Columbia. The organization offers a unified portfolio of services including drinking water distribution, wastewater collection through combined and sanitary sewer systems, and advanced wastewater treatment at the Blue Plains facility. Major programs include the Lead Free DC lead pipe replacement initiative and the Clean Rivers Project featuring tunnel infrastructure (Potomac River Tunnel, Northeast Boundary Tunnel) to control sewer overflows. Additional offerings encompass stormwater management, the Pure Water DC water recycling initiative, biosolids management, industrial pretreatment programs, and fire hydrant services. DC Water also provides customer-facing digital services including the My DC Water online portal, open data dashboards, and various permit and compliance services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Drinking Water Services Provides drinking water distribution to residential, commercial, and industrial customers within Washington, D.C., sourced from the Potomac River and treated through the Washington Aqueduct, with ongoing water quality monitoring and testing programs.
- Wastewater Collection Collection and transport of sewage from residential, commercial, and industrial customers through combined and sanitary sewer systems, including the Potomac Interceptor pipeline, to treatment facilities.
- Wastewater Treatment (Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant) Advanced wastewater treatment at the Blue Plains facility, one of the largest advanced wastewater treatment plants in the world, providing biological treatment, nutrient removal, enhanced clarification, and disinfection for the District and neighboring Maryland jurisdictions under intermunicipal agreements.
- Stormwater Management Management of stormwater runoff through catch basin systems and green infrastructure projects to reduce flooding and pollution in local waterways across the District.
- Lead Free DC Program DC Water's comprehensive $2 billion lead service line replacement program aimed at removing lead pipes from the District's water system, offering free replacements to eligible residents and recognized with the 2026 Outstanding Leadership Award from the Lead Service Line Replacement Collaborative (LSLRC).
- Industrial Pretreatment Program Regulatory program issuing pretreatment permits and conducting inspections to ensure industrial and commercial discharges meet quality standards before entering the sewer system, including fats, oils, and grease control.
- Biosolids Management Processing and beneficial reuse of wastewater treatment residuals, including programs for agricultural application and energy generation from biosolids.
- Fire Hydrant Services Installation, maintenance, and status monitoring of fire hydrants throughout the District to support firefighting capabilities and public safety.
Companies that use DC Water
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
DC Water technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
DC Water partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- THINK Fluid DynamixcoreTHINK Fluid Dynamix developed a coupled Computational Fluid Dynamics-Discrete Element Method (CFD-DEM) numerical model applied in a full-scale pilot study at the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant for DC Water's conversion of biological reactors into IFAS reactors.
- Halmar InternationalcoreHalmar International was awarded the $819 million Potomac River Tunnel project contract for DC Water. The heavy civil construction firm is expanding its executive leadership and strategic positioning to pursue public-private partnership and design-build opportunities for the tunnel project.
- RedZone RoboticscoreDC Water partnered with RedZone Robotics to deploy Solo autonomous robots for inspecting approximately 4 million feet of small-diameter sewer lines. The partnership includes a mentor-protégé program that trains diverse and minority-owned firms to operate the robotic systems, promoting workforce development and economic inclusion in the infrastructure sector.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
DC Water competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP): NYC DEP operates the largest municipal water and wastewater system in the U.S., serving ~8 million residents with combined water supply, sewage collection, and advanced treatment. Directly comparable to DC Water in mandate, regulated monopoly model, and large-scale tunnel/CSO programs.
- Philadelphia Water Department: Philadelphia Water Department provides drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services to ~1.7 million customers with an extensive combined sewer system and Green City, Clean Waters program—directly comparable to DC Water's mandate and CSO challenges.
- LA Sanitation & Environment (LASAN): LASAN operates one of the largest wastewater collection and treatment systems in the U.S., serving ~4 million residents in Los Angeles. Comparable to DC Water in advanced treatment scale, biosolids management, and water reuse initiatives.
- San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC): SFPUC delivers water, wastewater, and power services to San Francisco with major capital programs (Hetch Hetchy, sewer system improvement). Comparable as a municipally owned multi-utility with complex urban infrastructure and large capex programs.
- Boston Water and Sewer Commission: Boston Water and Sewer Commission provides water and sewer services to Boston residents and businesses with combined sewer overflow infrastructure. Comparable in scale, mandate, and urban combined sewer challenges similar to DC Water's.
- Seattle Public Utilities: Seattle Public Utilities provides drinking water, wastewater, drainage, and solid waste services to the Seattle area with combined sewer overflow reduction programs. Comparable in service mix, environmental stewardship, and tunnel infrastructure investments.
- Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD): MWRD treats wastewater for ~5 million people across Chicago and 128 suburbs, operating one of the largest wastewater treatment networks in the world. Directly comparable to DC Water in treatment scale, regional service, and biosolids/reuse initiatives.
- Denver Water: Denver Water serves ~1.5 million people across the Denver metro area with drinking water supply, treatment, and distribution. Comparable as a large municipally owned water utility with major treatment and distribution infrastructure programs.
- Houston Water (City of Houston Public Works): Houston Water provides water and wastewater services to the City of Houston and surrounding areas, operating one of the largest groundwater-based systems in the U.S. Comparable as a large municipal water/wastewater utility with major capital investment needs.
Regional players
- WSSC Water (Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission): WSSC Water is the bi-county water and wastewater utility for Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland—jurisdictions already served through DC Water's Blue Plains agreements. Highly comparable in service mix and regional geography.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
DC Water social profiles
Digital presenceDC Water financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DC Water leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
DC Water funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DC Water M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DC Water
What does DC Water do?
DC Water provides drinking water distribution, wastewater collection, and advanced wastewater treatment services to residents and businesses of Washington, D.C. The utility also operates the Lead Free DC program (free lead service line replacement), the Clean Rivers Project (including the Potomac River Tunnel and Northeast Boundary Tunnel) for combined sewer overflow reduction, stormwater management, biosolids processing, and an industrial pretreatment program.
Is DC Water a public or private company?
DC Water is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was DC Water founded?
DC Water was founded in 1909. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is DC Water based?
DC Water is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does DC Water make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Water and Sewer Utility Services are the primary driver. The others are green Bond Financing.
Who are DC Water's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP), Philadelphia Water Department, LA Sanitation & Environment (LASAN), San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), Boston Water and Sewer Commission, Seattle Public Utilities, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), Denver Water and Houston Water (City of Houston Public Works). WSSC Water (Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission) is listed as a regional player.
Does DC Water have an API?
No public API is recorded for DC Water.
What industry is DC Water in?
DC Water's product category is Municipal Water and Wastewater Utility Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIACAG, Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration, with a secondary code of EUANADAF, Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Treatment & Wet-Weather Capacity. Its NAICS code is 2213 and its SIC code is 4900.