Throughout the month of April, DC Water will partner with District of Columbia councilmembers to host town hall meetings across the District. In these meetings, DC Water General Manager George S. Hawkins discusses how rates are set and what is funded by ratepayer dollars. He also addresses DC Water’s environmental programs, future water and sewer projects and issues facing local communities.

The meetings will be held in each ward and feature information on water quality, construction projects, employment, and customer service. Specific discussion topics will include water and sewer rates, drinking water, infrastructure, job opportunities and efforts to help clean local rivers. Mr. Hawkins will personally invite many DC residents to the meetings through a robocall of individuals who have contacted DC Water with questions or concerns in the past.

All town hall meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Dates and locations are as follows:
- Ward 1: Tuesday, April 22: Benjamin Banneker Academic High School/Auditorium-800 Euclid Street NW
- Ward 2: Thursday, April 3: Francis-Stevens Education Campus/Auditorium-2425 N Street NW
- Ward 3: Wednesday, April 23: American University/Ward Circle Building (Room 2-Terrace level)-4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW
- Ward 4: Thursday, April 10: Shepherd Elementary School/Multipurpose Room-7800 14th Street NW
- Ward 5: Thursday, April 17: McKinley Technology High School/Room 150-151 T Street NE
- Ward 6: Tuesday, April 15: Eliot-Hine Middle School/Multipurpose Room-1830 Constitution Avenue NE
- Ward 7: Thursday, April 24: DC Department of Employment Services/First Floor Community Room-4058 Minnesota Avenue NE
- Ward 8: Wednesday, April 9: United Planning Organizations Ralph Waldo “Petey” Greene Community Service Center/Main Space-2907 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE

All meeting information is posted online at dcwater.com/rates.

Following the town hall meetings, the DC Water Board of Directors will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, May 14, 2014 at 6:30 pm. The public is encouraged to provide comments in person or in advance of the hearing. The Board is slated to vote on the proposed rate increases during the regularly scheduled Board meeting on July 3, 2014.

For more information on the public hearing, to sign up to testify, or to submit comments, please contact Linda Manley, Secretary to the Board, at 202-787-2332. For more information on the town hall meetings, please call Emanuel Briggs, Manager, Community Outreach at 202-787-2003.