Current Primary Charges and Fees
- Water and Sewer Usage Fees are charges billed volumetrically for water usage. Customers are charged a lower rate for the first 4 Ccfs of usage (2,992 gallons) and a higher rate for usage greater than 4 Ccfs. All residential customers are charged the same sewer rate.
- Clean Rivers Impervious Area (CRIAC) is a sewer charge based on the area on a property that is impervious (surface that stormwater cannot flow through, such as buildings, asphalt and/or concrete). These areas contribute to the District’s combined sewer overflows. Enacted in 2009, CRIAC fees cover the cost of the federally mandated Clean Rivers Project. The total amount of impervious area is converted into ERUs (Equivalent Residential Units) and reduced down to the nearest 100 square feet.
- Water System Replacement Fee (WSRF) - Enacted in 2016, this fee is designed to cover the costs of the renewal and replacement of aging water mains and infrastructure over time. The fee is assessed based in a customer’s meter size and average flow. Low-income customers under DC Water’s Customer Assistance Program (CAP) do not pay this fee and CAP2 customers receive 50% off.
- Stormwater Fee - Set by DC Department of Energy and Environment per amount of impervious area, funds DC Stormwater Management Program.
- Metering Fee is a flat fee charged to a customer based on the meter size at the property.
- Right of Way (ROW) - Payment made to DC Government for DC Water's sewer and water mains that occupy the public right-of-way.
- Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) - Payments made to DC Government for services, like public safety, that are provided to DC Water.
- Backflow Prevention Assembly Fee (BPAF) - Customers are charged this fee for every backflow prevention assembly (BPA) on their property. BPAs are required by law to prevent non-potable water from mixing with potable water. Points where this can occur are called “cross-connections” and include law irrigation, fire sprinklers, swimming pools, boilers, cooling towers, chillers, and other systems.
- Fats, Oils, and Grease Fee (FOGF) - Customers are charged this fee for each food-serving establishment (FSE) associated with their property. The new fee will help prevent fats, oils, and grease (FOG) from entering and damaging the sewer system. Only FSEs licensed with the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs will be affected by this fee.
