Drinking Water Regulations and Standards

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) regulates drinking water treatment and quality in the United States. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforces this law and establishes water quality standards to protect public health. DC Water consistently provides drinking water to our customers that meets or exceeds these federal regulations. In fact, DC Water voluntarily sets goals to make sure our drinking water meets water quality levels that are much stricter than those required by the EPA. We do this because the safety of our customers is our first priority.

Drinking water testing

DC Water has a dedicated Drinking Water Division that collects thousands of samples each year from across the District to ensure the drinking water we provide is clean and safe to drink. Our water is tested for a many types of contaminants including lead, copper, bacteria and disinfection byproducts to confirm we are meeting EPA standards. To see the test results, please click here.

Our Customer Complaint Program ensures that DC Water responds to water quality issues when they are reported by customers. Water quality technicians regularly visit customer homes to collect and analyze tap and hydrant samples. We work closely with our customers to address concerns and resolve water quality issues quickly and efficiently.