Our waterways are vitally important to the health and well-being of our City. Rock Creek, the Anacostia River, and the Potomac River provide our City with beauty, recreation, and ecological resources. Our drinking water even comes from the Potomac River. It’s important that we protect these waterways so that we can continue to enjoy and use them in the future.  

Catch Basins

Catch basins are the traps on the side of the road that catch debris and litter before they can enter a storm drain. DC Water regularly cleans and maintains more than 25,000 catch basins, removing 23 tons of debris every day. You can report clogged storm drains or catch basins by calling the DC Water Emergency Line at 202-612-3400.

Clean Rivers

The Clean Rivers Project is DC Water's ongoing program to reduce combined sewer overflows into the District's waterways - the Anacostia River, the Potomac River and Rock Creek. The project is a massive infrastructure and support program designed to capture and clean water during heavy rainfalls before it ever reaches our local waterways.