WASHINGTON, DC – DC Water announced today that the Authority will be holding a series of community town hall meetings – both virtual and in-person – to present on a proposed 4.8% rate adjustment and promote the DC Water Cares suite of customer assistance programs (CAP), which offer income-based subsidies to qualifying customers.

The 4.8% proposal, which represents an increase of approximately $6 per month for the average customer, would help address a convergence of urgent issues, including rising chemical and supply costs, and needed investments in DC Water’s infrastructure, including the removal of lead service lines and the replacement of aging water mains and other critical systems. Should the proposal be approved by the Authority’s Board of Directors, the increase would take effect at the start of the new fiscal year, on October 1, 2024.

The proposed increase comes in lower than the Authority’s initial 2023 forecast of a 7% rise. DC Water was able to capitalize on recently reaffirmed strong credit ratings of Aa1/AAA/AA+ by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s, and Fitch Ratings, respectively, which has enabled the Authority to borrow at lower rates and pass those savings on to customers.

"We recognize that an increase of any kind will pose challenges for our most financially vulnerable families," said DC Water CEO David L. Gadis. "We are also proposing to expand our customer assistance offerings with a new CAP+ program for very low-income households to help keep these families connected to water and wastewater services."

DC Water invites customers to attend the public meetings to learn more and ask questions about the rate proposal and customer assistance programs.

The full slate of public meetings is as follows:

* More information and details about how to access the virtual meetings will be posted on DC Water’s website at dcwater.com/townhalls