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B26-0321 • 2025

DC Water Disconnection and Billing Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

DC Water Disconnection and Billing Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Housing
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Allen
Last action
2025-08-08
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not specify details on how DC Water will implement these changes.

DC Water Disconnection and Billing Clarification Act

This act clarifies rules for water disconnections and billing in the District of Columbia, requiring DC Water to submit monthly reports on disconnections and penalties for late payments.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires DC Water to submit monthly reports about water service disconnections to the Council, Attorney General, and Tenant Advocate.
  • Clarifies that DC Water can charge up to 10% for unpaid bills after 30 days and impose penalties of 1% per month compounded after 60 days.
  • Modifies notice requirements before disconnecting water services to building occupants in multiple languages.

Who It Names or Affects

  • DC Water customers who may face disconnection for unpaid bills.
  • The Council of the District of Columbia, which receives monthly reports on water service disconnections.
  • Tenants and building owners affected by late payment penalties and potential water service disconnections.

Terms To Know

Language Access Act
A law that requires certain entities to provide language services for non-English speakers.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act is effective for no longer than 90 days as an emergency measure.
  • It does not specify what happens after the 90-day period ends.

Bill History

  1. 2025-08-08 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0127 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 008607, Expires on Oct 30, 2025

  2. 2025-08-01 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0127, Expires on Oct 30, 2025

  3. 2025-08-01 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  4. 2025-07-28 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Aug 11, 2025

  5. 2025-07-14 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  6. 2025-07-14 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  7. 2025-07-11 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0321 Introduced by Councilmember Allen at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

DC Water Disconnection and Billing Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
D.C. ACT 26-127
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
AUGUST 1, 2025
Toamend,onanemergencybasis,theLanguageAccessActof2004toincludetheDistrictof
ColumbiaWaterandSewerAuthorityasacoveredentitywithmajorpubliccontact;to
amend theDistrictof Columbia PublicWorks Act of 1954 torequirethattheDistrictof
Columbia Water and Sewer Authoritysubmitinformationregardingdisconnectionstothe
Council,theOfficeof theAttorneyGeneral,and theOfficeof theTenant Advocate on a
monthlybasis;toamend theWaterand SewerAuthorityEstablishmentandDepartment
of PublicWorksReorganizationActof1996toclarifytheimpositionofchargesand
penaltiesforlatepaymentofwaterservicechargesandbills;andtoamendsection431of
Title21 of theDistrictof Columbia MunicipalRegulationsto modify thenotice
requirementstobuildingoccupantspriortoawaterservicedisconnection.
BEITENACTEDBY THECOUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA,Thatthis
actmaybecitedasthe“DCWaterandSewerAuthorityBillingandDisconnectionClarificationEmergencyAmendmentActof2025”.
Sec.2.Section2(3)(B)oftheLanguageAccessActof2004,effectiveJune19,2004(D.C.Law15-167;D.C,OfficialCode§2-1931(3(B)),isamendedbyaddinganewsub-
subparagraph(vii-1)toreadasfollows:“(vii-I)DistrictofColumbiaWaterandSewerAuthority;”,
Sec,3,Section216(d)oftheWaterandSewerAuthorityEstablishmentandDepartment
of PublicWorksReorganizationActof1996,effectiveApril18,1996(D.C.Law11-111;D.C.OfficialCode§34-2202.16(d)),isamendedtoreadasfollows:“(d)TheAuthoritymayimposeadditionalchargesandpenaltiesforlatepaymentofbillsnotexceedingachargeof10%foranychargesorbillsremainingunpaidformorethan30days,
andapenaltyattherateof1%permonthcompoundedmonthlyforanychargesorbillsthatremainunpaidformorethan60days.”.
ENROLLED ORIGINAL,
Sec,4.Section103ofthe Districtof Columbia PublicWorks Act of 1954,approved May
18,1954 (68 Stat.1012 D.C. OfficialCode § 34-2407.01),isamended toreadas follows:
“Sec,103.Discontinuanceofwaterserviceforfailuretopaywatercharges.
“(a)(1)The Districtof Columbia Water and Sewer Authority(“Authority”),established.
pursuantto section202(a)of theWater and Sewer AuthorityEstablishmentand Department of
PublicWorks ReorganizationAct of 1996,effectiveApril18,1996 (D.C.Law 11-111;D.C.
OfficialCode § 34-2202.02(a)),may provideforthecollectionof watercharges,inadvance or
otherwise,fromtheowneroroccupantofanybuilding,property,orotherlocationfurnishedwateror waterserviceby theDistrict.
“(2)TheAuthoritymayshutoffthewatersupplytoanysuchbuilding,property,orotherlocationuponfailureoftheowneroroccupantthereoftopaysuchwaterchargeswithin
30 days from thedateof renditionofthe billtherefor,regardlessof any change inownershipor
‘occupancyof suchbuilding,property,orotherlocation.
“(b)(1)IftheAuthorityhasshutoffthewatersupplytoanypropertyforfailuretopay
Districtwaterandsanitarysewerservicecharges,itshallbeunlawfulforanypersontorestore
thewatersupplywithouttheexpressauthorizationoftheAuthority.
“(2)TheAuthorityshallimposeafineinanamountnotlessthan20%ofthe
delinquentchargesormorethan$100,whicheverisgreater,upontheowneroroccupantofthe
property,unlesstheAuthoritydeterminesthattheowneroroccupantdidnotrestoreorsolicita
persontorestorethewater.
“(c)TheAuthorityshallsubmitonthe7thdayofeachmonth,thefollowinginformation
totheCouncil,theOfficeof theAttorneyGeneral,and theOfficeof theTenant Advocate forthe
precedingmonth:
“(1)The number of propertiesthatreceiveda noticeof disconnection;
(2)Ofthosepropertiesthatwereissuedanotice,thenumberofpropertiesthat
experiencedadisconnection;
“(3)Of thosepropertiesthatexperiencedadisconnection,thenumber of
propertiesthathadservicerestored;
“(4)Thenumberofpropertiesthatenteredintoapaymentplan;
“(5)The number of propertiesthathave had billpayment assumed by thetenants
throughatenantassociation;and
“(6)Thenumberofpropertiesthathavebeenplacedinreceivership.”
Sec.5.Section431 of Title21of theDistrictof Columbia MunicipalRegulations(21
DCMR § 431),isamended as follows:
(a)The sectionheadingisamended by strikingthephrase“TO TENANTS” and inserting
thephrase“TO OCCUPANTS? initsplace.
(b)Subsection431.1 isamended toreadas follows:
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
“431.1Atleastthirty(30)workingdayspriortoterminatingwaterandsewerservices
tothepremises,theGeneralManagershallpostnoticeoutsideofthepremises,andateachunitifpubliclyaccessibleandwherepracticable,inEnglish,Spanish,oranotherlanguagethattheAuthorityreasonablydeterminesmaybespokenbyoccupantsatthepremises.”.
(b)Subsection431.2isamendedasfollows:(1)Thelead-inlanguageisamendedtoreadasfollows:
“431.2ThenoticeshallbedevelopedinconsultationwiththeOfficeoftheTenantAdvocateandprovidetheoccupants,whethertenantsorowners,withthefollowinginformation:”.
(2)Paragraph(a)isamendedtoreadasfollows“(a)Thattheowner,condominiumassociation,communityassociation,orother
commoninterestdevelopmentisdelinquentinthepaymentofwaterandsewerservicecharges,includingthecurrentamountowedandthenumberofdaystheaccountispastdue;”.(3)Paragraph(¢)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“maypermit”andinsertingthephrase“shallpermit”initsplace.
(4)Paragraph(d)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“receivership,”andinsertingthephrase“receivership,asprovidedinD.C.OfficialCode§34-2304(a)(1);”initsplace.
(©)Subsection431.5isamendedbystrikingtheword“Director”andinsertingthephrase“GeneralManager”initsplace.
Sec.6.ApplicabilitySection3shallapplyasofApril18,1996.
Sec.7.Fiscalimpactstatement.
The Counciladoptsthefiscalimpact statementof theBudget Directorasthefiscalimpact
statementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approvedOctober 16,2006 (120 Stat.2038; D.C. OfficialCode § 1-301.47a).
Sec.8,Effectivedate.
ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto),andshallremainineffectfornolongerthan90days,asprovidedforemergencyactsoftheCounciloftheDistrictofColumbiainsection
ENROLLED ORIGINAL,
412(a)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleActapprovedDecember24,1973(87Stat.788;D.C.OfficialCode§1-204.12(a)).
VnnChairman
Councilof theDistrictof Columbia

AUGUST 1, 2025
COUNCILOF THE DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004

[]ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR
[XJACTION FinalReading
[X]VOTEDATE July14,2026
[X]VOICEVOTE Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
[]ROLLCALLVOTE Result

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