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B26-0384 • 2025

CRIAC Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

CRIAC Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Allen
Last action
2025-10-23
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide a specific list of impervious surface types; it only mentions that the term includes certain examples.

CRIAC Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

This act clarifies that property owners and occupants in the District of Columbia must pay an impervious area charge based on their property's surface coverage.

What This Bill Does

  • Clarifies that property owners and occupants must pay an impervious area charge.
  • Specifies that the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority can assess this charge on any property in the district.
  • Allows owners or occupants to contest an impervious area charge bill using existing procedures.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Property owners and occupants in the District of Columbia
  • The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority

Terms To Know

Impervious Area Charge
A charge based on the amount of impervious surface area on a property, such as rooftops or driveways.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act is effective for no longer than 90 days after approval by the Mayor.
  • It does not specify what surfaces are considered 'impervious' for charging purposes.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-23 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0171, Expires on Jan 21, 2026

  2. 2025-10-23 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  3. 2025-10-15 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Oct 29, 2025

  4. 2025-10-07 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  5. 2025-10-07 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  6. 2025-10-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0384 Introduced by Councilmember Allen at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

CRIAC Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
- ACT 26-171

IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
OCTOBER 23, 2025
To amend, on an emergency basis,theDistrictof Columbia PublicWorks Act of 1954 toclarify
thatan owner oroccupantofpropertyintheDistrictshallpayanimperviousareacharge
thattheDistrictof Columbia Water and Sewer Authorityassesses;and to amend the
Water and Sewer AuthorityEstablishmentand Departmentof PublicWorks
ReorganizationAct of 1996 toclarifythattheDistrictof Columbia Water and Sewer
AuthoritymayassessanimperviousareachargeonanypropertyintheDistrict.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
actmay be citedas the“CRIAC ClarificationEmergency Amendment Act of 2025”.
Sec.2.TheDistrictofColumbiaPublicWorksActof1954,approvedMay18,1954(68Stat.104;D.C.OfficialCode§34-2101erseq.),isamendedasfollows:
(a)Section207(D.C.OfficialCode§34-2107)isamendedasfollows:
(1)Subsection(a)(1)isamendedtoreadasfollows:
“(1)A billingmethodologythattakesintoaccountboththewaterconsumptionof,
andwaterserviceto,apropertywherewaterissuppliedfromtheDistrictwatersupplysystem.”.
(2)Subsection(c)isrepealed.
(b)Section208(D.C.OfficialCode§34-2108)isamendedbyaddinganewsubsection(@)toreadasfollows:
“(d)TheowneroroccupantofeachpropertyintheDistrictshallpayanyimperviousarea
chargethattheDistrictofColumbiaWaterandSewerAuthorityestablishespursuanttosection216(c-1)oftheWaterandSewerAuthorityEstablishmentandDepartmentofPublicWorksReorganizationActof1996,effectiveApril18,1996(D.C.Law11-111:D.C.OfficialCode§34-2202.16(c-1)).”.
Sec.3,Section216oftheWaterandSewerAuthorityEstablishmentandDepartmentof,PublicWorksReorganizationActof1996,effectiveApril18,1996(D.C.Law11-111;D.C.OfficialCode§34-2202.16),isamendedasfollows:
1
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
(a)A new subsection(c-1)isadded toreadas follows:
“(c+1)(1)(A)TheAuthorityshallassessanimperviousareachargeonanypropertyinthe
Districtbasedonabillingmethodologythattakesintoaccounttheamountof impervioussurface
on a propertythateitherpreventsor retardstheentryofwaterintotheground as occurringunder
naturalconditions,or thatcauseswatertorun offthesurfaceingreaterquantitiesor atan
increasedrateofflow, relativeto theflow presentunder naturalconditions.
“(B)Forthepurposesofthisparagraph,theterm“surface”includes
rooftops,footprintsofpatios,driveways,privatestreets,otherpavedareas,athleticcourtsand
swimmingpools,andanypathorwalkwaythatiscoveredbyimperviousmaterial.
“(2)Theimperviousareachargeshallbetheobligationofthepropertyowner.
Failuretopaytheimperviousareachargeshallresultinalienbeingplacedupontheproperty
withoutfurthernoticetotheowner. The Mayor may enforcethelieninthesame manner as in
section104 of theDistrictof Columbia PublicWorks Act of 1954,approved May 18,1954 (68
Stat,102;D.C. OfficialCode § 34-2407.02).
“(3)Anyowneroroccupantofapropertythatisassessedanimperviousarea
chargemaycontestanimperviousareachargebillaccordingtothesameproceduresprovidedto
ownersoroccupantsofpropertiesthatreceivewaterandsewerserviceundersection1805ofthe
Districtof Columbia PublicWorks Act of 1954,approved June 13, 1990 (D.C.Law 8-136;D.C.
OfficialCode § 34-2305).”
(b)Subsection(¢)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“includingthe”andinsertingthe
phrase“includingtheimperviousareachargeand the”initsplace.

Sec.4,Applicability.ThisactshallapplyasofMarch25,2009.
Sec.5,Fiscalimpactstatement.
TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementoftheBudgetDirectorasthefiscalimpact
statementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approvedOctober16,2006(120Stat.2038;D.C.OfficialCode§1-301.47a).
Sec.6.Effectivedate.
ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto),andshallremainineffectfornolongerthan
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
90days,asprovidedforemergencyactsoftheCounciloftheDistrictofColumbiainsection412(a)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember24,1973(87Stat.788;D.C.OfficialCode§1-204.12(a)).
Wit Zamairman
Councilof theDistrictof Columbia

OCTOBER 23, 2025
COUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004

DocketNo.826-0384

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[XJACTION FinalReading
[VOTE DATE October7,2025
[DgVOICEVoTE ‘Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
‘ABSENT

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