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B26-0679 • 2025

DC Water and Sewer Authority Billing and Disconnection Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

DC Water and Sewer Authority Billing and Disconnection Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

Housing
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Allen
Last action
2026-06-05
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date is listed as following approval by the Mayor and remains for no longer than 90 days; exact start date depends on mayoral action.

DC Water and Sewer Authority Billing and Disconnection Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

This law adds DC Water to language access rules, sets specific late fees for unpaid bills, requires monthly reports on water shut-offs to city officials, clarifies when service can be cut off, and updates notice requirements before disconnection.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority as a covered entity under the Language Access Act of 2004.
  • Sets late payment charges at up to 10% for bills unpaid more than 30 days, plus a monthly penalty of 1% compounded on bills over 60 days old.
  • Requires DC Water to send monthly reports to city officials about disconnection notices, actual shut-offs, service restorations, payment plans, tenant-assumed payments, and properties in receivership.
  • Clarifies that water can be cut off if an owner or occupant does not pay within 30 days of the bill date, regardless of changes in ownership or occupancy.
  • Makes it illegal for anyone to restore water without DC Water's permission after a shut-off due to non-payment and sets fines for violations unless the Authority determines the person did not cause the restoration.
  • Updates notice rules so that at least 30 working days before cutting off service, notices must be posted outside the property in English, Spanish, or other languages spoken by occupants.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water)
  • Owners or occupants of buildings with unpaid water bills
  • The Council, Office of the People's Counsel, Office of the Attorney General, and Office of the Tenant Advocate

Terms To Know

Disconnection
When DC Water stops providing water service to a property because bills were not paid.
Receivership
A legal process where an outside manager takes control of a building's finances or operations, often due to unpaid debts; this act requires reporting on properties placed in receivership.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This act is labeled as emergency legislation and will remain in effect for no longer than 90 days unless extended.
  • The text does not specify the exact dollar amounts of fines beyond stating they must be at least 20% of delinquent charges or $100, whichever is greater.

Bill History

  1. 2026-06-05 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0339 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 008207, Expires on Aug 27, 2026

  2. 2026-05-29 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0339, Expires on Aug 27, 2026

  3. 2026-05-29 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  4. 2026-05-14 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on May 29, 2026

  5. 2026-05-05 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  6. 2026-05-05 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  7. 2026-05-04 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0679 Introduced by Councilmember Allen at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

DC Water and Sewer Authority Billing and Disconnection Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2026

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
D.C. ACT 26-339
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
MAY 29, 2026
To amend, on an emergency basis,theLanguage Access Act of 2004 toincludetheDistrictof
ColumbiaWaterandSewerAuthorityasacoveredentitywithmajorpubliccontact;to
amend theDistrictof Columbia PublicWorks Act of 1954 torequirethatthe Districtof
Columbia Water and Sewer Authoritysubmit informationregardingdisconnectionstothe
Council,theOfficeof thePeople’sCounsel,theOfficeof the AttorneyGeneral,and the
Officeofthe Tenant Advocate on a monthly basis;toamend theWater and Sewer
AuthorityEstablishmentand Departmentof PublicWorks ReorganizationAct of 1996 to
clarifytheimpositionofchargesandpenaltiesforlatepaymentofwaterservicecharges
and bills;and toamend section431of Title21of theDistrictof Columbia Municipal
Regulationstomodifythenoticerequirementstobuildingoccupantspriortoa water
servicedisconnection.
BEITENACTEDBYTHECOUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA,Thatthis
actmaybecitedasthe“DCWaterandSewerAuthorityBillingandDisconnectionClarificationEmergencyAmendmentActof2026”,
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(d)oftheWaterandSewerAuthorityEstablishmentandDepartment
of PublicWorksReorganizationActof1996,effectiveApril18,1996(D.C.Law11-111;D.C.OfficialCode§34-2202.16(d)),isamendedtoreadasfollows:“(@)TheAuthoritymayimposeadditionalchargesandpenaltiesforlatepaymentofbills,
notexceedingachargeof10%foranychargesorbillsremainingunpaidformorethan30days,andapenaltyattherateof1%permonthcompoundedmonthlyforanychargesorbillsthatremainunpaidformorethan60days”.”
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
See.4.Section103of theDistrictof Columbia PublicWorks Act of 1954,approvedMay
18,1954 (68 Stat.102;D.C. OfficialCode § 34-2407.01),isamended to readas follows:
“Sec.103.Discontinuanceof waterserviceforfailuretopay watercharges.
“(a)(1)The Districtof Columbia Water and Sewer Authority(“Authority”),established
pursuanttosection202(a)of theWater and Sewer AuthorityEstablishmentand Departmentof
PublicWorks ReorganizationAct of 1996,effectiveApril18,1996 (D.C.Law 11-111;D.
OfficialCode§34-2202.02(a)),mayprovideforthecollectionofwatercharges,inadvanceor
otherwise,fromtheowneroroccupantofany building,property,orotherlocationfurnished
wateror waterserviceby theDistrict.
“(2)TheAuthoritymayshutoffthewatersupplytoanysuchbuilding,
property,orotherlocationuponfailureoftheowneroroccupantthereoftopaysuchwaterchargeswithin30 days from thedateof renditionof the billtherefor,regardlessof any change in
ownershiporoccupancyofsuchbuilding,property,orotherlocation.
“(b)(1)IftheAuthorityhasshutoffthewatersupplytoanypropertyforfailuretopay
Districtwaterandsanitarysewerservicecharges,itshallbeunlawfulforanypersontorestore
thewatersupplywithouttheexpressauthorizationof theAuthority.
“(2)The Authorityshallimpose a fineinan amount notlessthan20% ofthe
delinquentchargesormorethan$100,whicheverisgreater,upontheowneroroccupantoftheproperty,unlesstheAuthoritydeterminesthattheowneroroccupantdidnotrestoreorsolicitapersontorestorethewater.
“(c)TheAuthorityshallsubmitonthe7thdayofeachmonth,thefollowinginformationtotheCouncil,theOfficeof theAttorneyGeneral,theOfficeof thePeople’sCounsel,and the
OfficeoftheTenantAdvocatefortheprecedingmonth:
“(1)The numberofpropertiesthatreceiveda noticeof disconnection;
“(2)Of thosepropertiesthatwere issueda notice,thenumberof propertiesthat
experiencedadisconnection;
“(3)Of those propertiesthatexperienceda disconnection,thenumber of
propertiesthathad servicerestored;
“(4)Thenumberofpropertiesthatenteredintoapaymentplan;
“(5)Thenumberofpropertiesthathavehadbillpaymentassumedbythetenantsthrougha tenantassociation;and
*(6)Thenumberofpropertiesthathavebeenplacedinreceivership.”.

Sec.5.Section431ofTitle21oftheDistrictofColumbiaMunicipalRegulations(21DCMR §431),isamendedasfollows:(a)Thesectionheadingisamendedbystrikingthephrase“TOTENANTS”andinsertingthephrase“TOOCCUPANTS”initsplace.
(b)Subsection431.1isamendedtoreadasfollows:“431.1Atleastthirty(30)workingdayspriortoterminatingwaterandsewerservicestothepremises,theGeneralManagershallpostnoticeoutsideofthepremises,andateachunitif
2

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
publiclyaccessibleandwherepracticable,inEnglish,Spanish,oranotherlanguagethattheAuthorityreasonablydeterminesmaybespokenbyoccupantsatthepremises.”.(b)Subsection431.2isamendedasfollows:
(1)Thelead-inlanguageisamendedtoreadasfollows:“431.2ThenoticeshallbedevelopedinconsultationwiththeOfficeoftheTenantAdvocateandprovidetheoccupants,whethertenantsorowners,withthefollowinginformation:”.
(2)Paragraph(a)isamendedtoreadasfollows“(a)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.(©)Subsection431.5isamendedbystrikingtheword“Director”andinsertingthephrase“GeneralManager”initsplace.
Sec.6.Applicability.Section3shallapplyasofApril18,1996.
Sec.7.Fiscalimpactstatement.
The Counciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementof the Budget Directorasthefiscalimpact
statementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approved
October 16,2006 (120 Stat.2038; D.C. OfficialCode § 1-301.47a).
Sec.8.Effectivedate.ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto),andshallremainineffectfornolongerthan
ENROLLED ORIGINAL,
90 days,as providedforemergency actsof theCouncilofthe Districtof Columbia insection
412(a)ofthe Districtof Columbia Home Rule Act approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat.788;
D.C. OfficialCode § 1-204.12(a)).

Councilofthe Districtof Columbia

Districtbf ColumbiaAPPROVED
MAY 29, 2026
COUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA,
WASHINGTON,DC,20004

DocketNo,826-0679

[]ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR
[xTACTION FinalReading
[x]VOTEDATE May5,
Ux]VoIcEvoTE ‘Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
‘ABSENT
[]ROLLCALLVOTE~Result

[CouncilMember [aye[Nay|Nv_[AB[Rec|CounciMember[Aye[Nay|NV[AB[Res[CounciiMember[Aye[Nay[NV[AB[Ree
ChairmanMendelson]X Framin x Proto
‘Allon x Henderson|x White
Bonds x LewisGeorge_| x Twite
Crawtord x Nadeau x
Folger x Parker x
X-IndicateVoto AB~Absent NV--Present,NotVoting Rec-Recused
CERTIFICATIONRECORD
Sees g v9creaConrad eS