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. Instead of overflowing into Piney Branch, that water will go to the Blue Plains Water Resource Recovery Facility, where it will be treated.

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 complete each blast.

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 Department of the Environment (MDE) and DC Water finalize an updated enviromental rehabilitation plan. Results over the past few months show the Potomac River is back within its normal range, with typical ...