Earlier this year, we hosted the Grand Opening of the Anacostia Tunnel. This event celebrated more than a decade’s worth of planning and work with the completion of the 7-mile-long tunnel segment that will substantially reduce combined sewer overflows to the Anacostia River, dramatically improving the river’s health.  This was a huge milestone for DC Water’s" Clean Rivers Project and more than 100 people attended, including elected leaders, representatives from local environmental organizations, and many customers. For those stuck in the office or out of town, Team Blue used technology to live stream this historic event:  Facebook Live!

Our stream reached more than 2,549 people and had a total of 800 viewers. Viewers tuned in from here in the District of Columbia, nearby Virginia and Maryland, and New Jersey, California, Vermont and even Lazio, Italy.  So, what exactly did our virtual audience see? The stream started inside the tunnel system, offering Facebook Live viewers an exclusive view of the structure that captures over 100 million gallons of combined sewage in heavy rainfalls. Residents engaged with our host who answered their questions, and were treated to a breathtaking view of the Anacostia River from more than 8 stories up in the air! Customers enjoyed the chance to be part of the event, and we will be sure to host more Facebook Live events in the future.

Team Blue has embraced social media to easily and quickly interact with you. Whether responding to tweets reporting clogged catch basins, creating a parody video to remind customers about our annual chlorine switch, or streaming live from a historic event on Facebook, it’s all done with one goal in mind, enhancing the customer experience. If you have questions, concerns, or just want to see more of a specific type of content, there are many ways to get social and let us know. Whether it’s Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter or the next social platform to surface we look forward to engaging with you digitally!