This week marks National Drinking Water Week and DC Water joins the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and water professionals nationwide in highlighting the importance of investing in water infrastructure.

Across the country, much of our drinking water infrastructure was constructed by previous generations during the late 1800s, the 1920s and during the Post World War II boom. In the District, some pipes still in use were placed in service before the U.S. Civil War! Many of the water mains from all three eras must be replaced or repaired in the next 25 years.

“Those buried pipes deliver the water that is vital to life and economic vitality,” said DC Water General Manager George S. Hawkins. “Without a high quality drinking water system, communities cannot thrive. We must be unwavering in our efforts to restore and maintain our drinking water systems.”

“We all agree that water is an essential element in our daily lives, but for North Americans, water service is a convenience that we too often take for granted,” said AWWA Executive Director David LaFrance.

According to a recent AWWA study titled “Buried No Longer: Confronting America’s Water Infrastructure Challenge,” the cost of repairing and expanding U.S. drinking water infrastructure will top $1 trillion in the next 25 years. That figure will rise to $1.7 trillion by 2050.

DC Water’s leadership has adopted an aggressive replacement schedule for replacing water mains after analyzing the former replacement schedule and realizing that delayed replacements only drive the costs up higher, while adding inconvenience of water main breaks. Instead of a third of a percent per year, DC Water is ramping up to a full one percent per year replacement of water mains. That equals about 11 miles per year. At this rate, it will still take about 100 years to replace all of them.

About Drinking Water Week
For more than 35 years, the American Water Works Association and its members have celebrated Drinking Water Week – a unique opportunity for both water professionals and the communities they serve to join together to recognize the vital role water plays in our daily lives.