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B26-0385 • 2025

CRIAC Clarification Temporary Amendment Act of 2025

CRIAC Clarification Temporary Amendment Act of 2025

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Allen
Last action
2026-01-23
Official status
Official Law
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about the calculation of charges or a comprehensive definition of what constitutes an impervious surface.

CRIAC Clarification Temporary Amendment Act of 2025

This act temporarily amends the District of Columbia Public Works Act and Water and Sewer Authority Establishment Act to clarify rules about impervious surface charges for property owners.

What This Bill Does

  • Clarifies that an owner or occupant of property in the District shall pay an impervious area charge assessed by the DC Water and Sewer Authority.
  • Specifies that the impervious area charge is based on a billing methodology that takes into account the amount of impermeable surface on a property.
  • Establishes that failure to pay the impervious area charge may result in a lien being placed on the property.

Who It Names or Affects

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

Terms To Know

Impervious surface charge
A fee charged to property owners based on the amount of impermeable surfaces on their land that prevent water from soaking into the ground.
Owner or occupant
The person who owns or lives in a property.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This act is temporary and will expire after 225 days of taking effect.
  • It does not specify how the charges are calculated, only that they must be based on impervious surfaces.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-23 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Law L26-0074, Effective from Dec 31, 2025 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 000607, Expires on Aug 13, 2026

  2. 2025-11-21 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0191 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 012869

  3. 2025-11-17 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Congress

  4. 2025-11-10 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0191

  5. 2025-11-10 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  6. 2025-10-28 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Nov 12, 2025

  7. 2025-10-21 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  8. 2025-10-10 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Intent to Act on B26-0385 Published in the District of Columbia Register

  9. 2025-10-07 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

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

    Legislative Meeting

  11. 2025-10-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0385 Introduced by Councilmember Allen at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

CRIAC Clarification Temporary Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
D.C. ACT 26-194
INTHE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA,
NOVEMBER 10,2025
‘Toamend,onatemporarybasis,theDistrictofColumbiaPublicWorksActof1954toclarify‘thatanowneroroccupantofpropertyintheDistrictshallpayanimperviousareachargethattheDistrictofColumbiaWaterandSewerAuthorityassesses;andtoamendtheWaterandSewerAuthorityEstablishmentandDepartmentofPublicWorksReorganizationActof1996toclarifythattheDistrictofColumbiaWaterandSewer‘AuthoritymayassessanimperviousareachargeonanypropertyintheDistrict.
BEIT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Thatthis
actmay be citedas the“CRIAC ClarificationTemporary Amendment Act of2025”.
Sec.2.TheDistrictofColumbiaPublicWorksActof1954,approvedMay18,1954(68Stat.104;D.C.OfficialCode§34-2101efseq.),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(d)toreadasfollows:
“(@)TheowneroroccupantofeachpropertyintheDistrictshallpayanyimperviousareachargethattheDistrictofColumbiaWaterandSewerAuthorityestablishespursuanttosection216(c-1)oftheWaterandSewerAuthorityEstablishmentandDepartmentofPublicWorksReorganizationActof1996,effectiveApril18,1996(D.C.Law11-111;D.C.OfficialCode§
34-2202.16(¢-1)).”.
Sec.3.Section216oftheWaterandSewerAuthorityEstablishmentandDepartmentof
PublicWorksReorganizationActof1996,effectiveApril18,1996(D.C.Law11-111;D.C.
OfficialCode§34-2202.16),isamendedasfollows:
(@)A newsubsection(c-1)isaddedtoreadasfollows:
1
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
“(e-1)(1)(A)TheAuthorityshallassessanimperviousareachargeonanypropertyinthe
Districtbased on abillingmethodology thattakesintoaccounttheamount of impervioussurface
on a propertythateitherpreventsorretardstheentryofwaterintothegroundasoccurringunder
naturalconditions,or thatcauseswatertorun offthesurfaceingreaterquantitiesor atan
increasedrateof flow, relativetotheflow presentundernaturalconditions.
“(B)Forthepurposesofthisparagraph,theterm“surface”includes
rooftops,footprintsofpatios,driveways,privatestreets,otherpavedareas,athleticcourtsand
swimmingpools,andanypathorwalkwaythatiscoveredbyimperviousmaterial.
“(2)Theimperviousareachargeshallbetheobligationofthepropertyowner.
Failuretopaytheimperviousareachargeshallresultinalienbeingplacedupontheproperty
withoutfurthernoticetotheowner.TheMayormayenforcethelieninthesamemannerasin
section104ofthe Districtof Columbia PublicWorks Act of 1954,approved May 18,1954 (68
Stat.102;D.C. OfficialCode § 34-2407.02).
“(3)Anyowneroroccupantofa propertythatisassessedanimperviousarea
chargemaycontestanimperviousareachargebillaccordingtothesameproceduresprovidedto
owners or occupantsof propertiesthatreceivewater and sewer service,under section1805of the
Districtof Columbia PublicWorks Act of 1954,effectiveJune 13,1990 (D.C.Law 8-136;D.C.
OfficialCode § 34-2305).”.
(b)Subsection(e)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“includingthe”andinsertingthe
phrase“includingtheimperviousareachargeandthe”initsplace.
Sec.4,Applicability.
‘ThisactshallapplyasofMarch25,2009.
Sec.5.Fiscalimpactstatement.
‘TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementoftheBudgetDirectorasthefiscalimpactstatementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approved
October16,2006(120Stat,2038;D.C.OfficialCode§1-301.47a).
Sec.6.Effectivedate.
(a)ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto)anda30-dayperiodofcongressionalreviewasprovidedinsection602(c)(1)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approved

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
December24,1973(87Stat.813;D.C.OfficialCode§1-206.02(¢)(1)).
(b)Thisactshallexpireafter225daysofitshavingtakeneffect.
jle——
jairman
CounciloftheDistrictofColumbia
Mayor
Districtof Columbia
APPROVEDNOVEMBER 10, 2025

COUNCILOF THEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA

WASHINGTON,DC,20004
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