B26-0322 • 2025

DC Water Disconnection and Billing Clarification Temporary 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: 2025-10-01
Official status: Official Law
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date is listed as October 1, 2025 in the metadata, but Section 8 of the bill text states it takes effect after Mayor approval and a congressional review period; the specific start date depends on these actions.

DC Water Disconnection and Billing Clarification Temporary Amendment Act of 2025

This law adds DC Water to language access rules, sets specific late fees for unpaid bills, requires monthly reports on water disconnections, 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 under the Language Access Act so it must provide information in multiple languages.
Allows DC Water to charge up to 10% for bills unpaid after 30 days, plus a monthly penalty of 1% compounded on bills unpaid for more than 60 days.
Requires DC Water to submit monthly reports to the Council, Office of the Attorney General, and Office of the Tenant Advocate about disconnection notices, actual disconnections, service restorations, payment plans, tenant-assumed payments, and properties in receivership.
Updates rules so that at least 30 working days before cutting off water, a notice must be posted outside the building and inside each unit if accessible, in English, Spanish, or another language spoken by occupants.
Requires disconnection notices to include details about who owes money (owner or association), the current amount owed, and how many days past due.

Who It Names or Affects

The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority
Building owners and condominium associations responsible for water bills
Occupants living in buildings where water service might be cut off
District agencies 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 required to provide information in languages other than English for people who speak those languages.
Compounded monthly penalty: A fee added each month on top of the previous total owed for unpaid bills that are more than 60 days old.

Limits and Unknowns

This law expires automatically after 225 days from when it takes effect.
The exact start date depends on approval by the Mayor and a required 30-day review period by Congress.
The text does not specify how much money DC Water will collect in total under these new fee rules.

Bill History

2025-10-01 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Law Number L26-0050 Effective from Oct 01, 2025, Expires on May 14, 2026
2025-08-19 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Transmitted to Congress
2025-08-15 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Act A26-0136 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 008941
2025-08-12 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Returned from Mayor
2025-08-11 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0136
2025-07-31 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Aug 14, 2025
2025-07-28 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Legislative Meeting
2025-07-18 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Notice of Intent to Act on B26-0322 Published in the District of Columbia Register
2025-07-14 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Retained by the Council
2025-07-14 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Legislative Meeting
2025-07-11 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
B26-0322 Introduced by Councilmember Allen at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

DC Water Disconnection and Billing Clarification Temporary Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
D.C. ACT 26-136
INTHE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
AUGUST 11, 2025
Toamend,onatemporarybasis,theLanguageAccessActof2004toincludetheDistrictofColumbiaWaterandSewerAuthorityasacoveredentitywithmajorpubliccontact;toamendtheDistrictofColumbiaPublicWorksActof1954torequirethattheDistrictofColumbiaWaterandSewerAuthoritysubmitinformationregardingdisconnectionstotheCouncil,theOfficeoftheAttorneyGeneral,andtheOfficeoftheTenantAdvocateonamonthlybasis;toamendtheWaterandSewerAuthorityEstablishmentandDepartmentofPublicWorksReorganizationActof1996toclarifytheimpositionofchargesand
penaltiesforlatepaymentofwaterservicechargesandbills;andtoamendsection431ofTitle21oftheDistrictofColumbiaMunicipalRegulationstomodifythenoticerequirementstobuildingoccupantspriortoawaterservicedisconnection.
BEITENACTEDBYTHECOUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA,Thatthisactmaybecitedasthe“DCWaterandSewerAuthorityBillingandDisconnectionClarification
TemporaryAmendmentActof2025”.
Sec.2.Section2(3)(B)oftheLanguageAccessActof2004,effectiveJune19,2004(D.C.Law15-167;D.C.OfficialCode§2-1931(3)(B)),isamendedbyaddinganewsub-subparagraph(vii-I)toreadasfollows:“(vii-1)TheDistrictofColumbiaWaterandSewerAuthority;”.
Sec.3.Section216(4)oftheWaterandSewerAuthorityEstablishmentandDepartmentofPublicWorksReorganizationActof1996,effectiveApril18,1996(D.C.Law11-11;D.C.OfficialCode§34-2202.16(d)),isamendedtoreadasfollows:“(d)TheAuthoritymayimposeadditionalchargesandpenaltiesforlatepaymentofbillsnotexceedingachargeof10%foranychargesorbillsremainingunpaidformorethan30days,andapenaltyattherateof1%permonthcompoundedmonthlyforanychargesorbillsthatremainunpaidformore than60 days”.

ENROLLED ORIGINAL.
Sec.4.Section103ofthe Districtof Columbia PublicWorks Actof 1954,approvedMay
18,1954 (68 Stat.102;D.C. OfficialCode § 34-2407.01),isamended toreadas follows:
“Sec.103.Discontinuanceof waterserviceforfailuretopay watercharges.
“(a)(1)TheDistrictofColumbiaWaterandSewerAuthority(“Authority”),established
pursuanttosection202(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,fromtheowneroroccupantofany building,property,orotherlocationfurnished
waterorwaterservicebytheDistrict.
“(2)TheAuthoritymayshutoffthewatersupplytoanysuchbuilding,
property,orotherlocationuponfailureoftheowneroroccupantthereoftopaysuchwater
chargeswithin30 days from thedateof renditionofthe billtherefor,regardlessofany change in
ownershiporoccupancyof suchbuilding,property,orotherlocation.
“(b)(1)IftheAuthorityhasshutoffthewatersupplytoanypropertyforfailuretopay
Districtwaterand sanitarysewer servicecharges,itshallbe unlawfulforany persontorestore
thewatersupplywithouttheexpressauthorizationoftheAuthority.
“(2)The Authorityshallimposeafine inan amount notlessthan20% of the
delinquentchargesormorethan$100,whicheverisgreater,upontheowneroroccupantofthe
property,unlesstheAuthoritydeterminesthattheowner or occupantdidnotrestoreor solicita
persontorestorethewater.
“(c)The Authorityshallsubmiton the7thday of each month, thefollowinginformation
totheCouncil,theOfficeof theAttorneyGeneral,and theOfficeof theTenant Advocate forthe
precedingmonth:
*(1)Thenumberofpropertiesthatreceivedanoticeofdisconnection;
(2)Ofthosepropertiesthatwereissuedanotice,thenumberofpropertiesthat
experiencedadisconnection;
“(3)Ofthosepropertiesthatexperiencedadisconnection,thenumberof
propertiesthathad servicerestored;
“(4)Thenumberofpropertiesthatenteredintoapaymentplan;
“(5)Thenumberofpropertiesthathavehadbillpaymentassumedbythetenants
throughatenantassociation;and
“(6)Thenumberofpropertiesthathavebeenplacedinreceivership.”.

Sec.5.Section431ofTitle21oftheDistrictofColumbiaMunicipalRegulations(21DCMR §431),isamendedasfollows:(a)Thesectionheadingisamendedbystrikingthephrase“TOTENANTS”andinserting
thephrase“TOOCCUPANTS”initsplace.(b)Subsection431.1isamendedtoreadasfollows:
ENROLLED ORIGINAL,
“431.1Atleastthirty(30)workingdayspriortoterminatingwaterandsewerservicestothepremises,theGeneralManagershallpostnoticeoutsideofthepremises,andateachunitif
publiclyaccessibleandwherepracticable,inEnglish,Spanish,oranotherlanguagethattheAuthorityreasonablydeterminesmaybespokenbyoccupantsatthepremises.”.(b)Subsection431.2isamendedasfollows:(J)Thelead-inlanguageisamendedtoreadasfollows:“431.2ThenoticeshallbedevelopedinconsultationwiththeOfficeoftheTenantAdvocateandprovidetheoccupants,whethertenantsorowners,withthefollowinginformation:”.(2)Paragraph(a)isamendedtoreadasfollows
“(@)Thattheowner,condominiumassociation,communityassociation,orothercommoninterestdevelopmentisdelinquentinthepaymentofwaterandsewerservicecharges,
includingthecurrentamountowedandthenumberofdaystheaccountispastdue;”.(3)Paragraph(c)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“maypermit”andinsertingthephrase“shallpermit”initsplace.(4)Paragraph(d)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“receivership;”andinsertingthephrase“receivership,asprovidedinD.C.OfficialCode§34-2304(a)(1):”initsplace.
(c)Subsection431.5isamendedbystrikingtheword“Director”andinsertingthephrase“GeneralManager”initsplace.
Sec.6.Applicability.Section3shallapplyasofApril18,1996.
Sec,7.Fiscalimpactstatement.
The Counciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementof theBudget Directoras thefiscalimpact
statementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approved
October 16,2006 (120 Stat.2038; D.C. OfficialCode § 1-301.47a).
Sec.8.Effectivedate.(a)ThisactshalltakeeffectafterapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobythe
Mayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto)anda30-dayperiodofcongressionalreview
as

ENROLLED ORIGINAL.
providedinsection602(c)(1)of theDistrictof Columbia Home Rule Act,approvedDecember
24, 1973 (87 stat.813;D.C. OfficialCode § 1-206.02(c)(1)).
(b)Thisactshallexpireafter225 daysof its havingtakeneffect.
airman
Councilofthe Districtof Columbia

APPROVED
AUGUST 11, 2025

COUNCILOFTHE DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004

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