DC Water lead program

Opportunity

DC Water provides about 100 million gallons per day of drinking water to more than 670,000 residents, 700,000 people employed in the District of Columbia, and 17.8 million annual visitors. The water system includes about 1,300 miles of mains, 8 storage facilities, 43,800 valves, and 9,500 public hydrants.

In the early 2000s, the lead action level for drinking water was exceeded. A January 2004 article in the Washington Post increased public pressure to ramp up water quality sampling, make treatment changes, and replace lead service lines.

Solution

Mott MacDonald helped develop and implement a $438 million lead service replacement program, which achieved over 4,000 replacements per year. We initiated water quality studies to identify effective treatments to reduce the release of lead, and worked closely with DC Water, the Washington Aqueduct, and EPA to develop effective corrosion control treatment.

For the first few years of the program, our tasks included managing an inventory of lead service lines, selecting blocks for replacement, coordinating with the Department of Transportation, and conducting private-property field surveys. We managed a notification and customer communication database, followed up on high lead results, and reported to the EPA. We supported the Public Affairs Office with public outreach, and provided services for permitting, releases for pavement cuts, budget management, contract design, and construction procurement.

Outcome

Thanks to DC Water’s aggressive lead service line replacement program, over 20,000 lead service lines were replaced. Currently, DC Water meets all EPA standards for lead in water, and continues to monitor for lead at the tap, replace lead service pipes, and help customers identify and remove lead sources on their property.