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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 text states this act remains effective for no longer than 90 days but does not explicitly state the process or conditions under which it might be extended to become permanent law.

DC Water Disconnection and Billing Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

This emergency law adds DC Water to language access rules, sets specific late fees for unpaid bills, requires monthly reports on water shut-offs, and updates notice requirements before cutting off service.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority as a covered entity with major public contact under the Language Access Act of 2004.
  • Sets late payment charges at up to 10% for bills unpaid over 30 days and adds a monthly penalty of 1% compounded after 60 days.
  • Requires DC Water to submit monthly reports on disconnection notices, actual shut-offs, service restorations, payment plans, tenant-assumed payments, and properties in receivership to the Council, Attorney General, and Tenant Advocate offices.
  • Updates regulations to require water shutoff notices be posted at least 30 working days before termination in English, Spanish, or other relevant languages determined by DC Water.
  • Changes notice language from 'tenants' to 'occupants' so that both owners and renters receive information about delinquent accounts.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority
  • Building owners, condominium associations, community associations, and other property managers in the District
  • Occupants of buildings receiving water service from DC Water
  • District government offices including the Council, Office of the Attorney General, and Office of the Tenant Advocate

Terms To Know

Covered entity with major public contact
An organization that must provide information in multiple languages under the Language Access Act.
Compounded monthly penalty
A late fee calculated each month on both the original unpaid amount and any previous penalties added to it.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This act is an emergency measure and will remain in effect for no longer than 90 days after approval.
  • The text does not specify if or how this law becomes permanent beyond its initial 90-day window.

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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