The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority introduced new water conservation recommendations on Wednesday as the city heads into its driest summer in decades.These measures follow a drought watch warning by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ Drought Coordination Committee. The council, comprised of elected officials from 24 local governments, now recommends “voluntary water conservation through wise water use.” A warning is the second-most serious level in the council’s four-tiered Regional Drought Response Plan. According to the National Weather Service, 2026 has been the driest year on record for the district since 2002. The city had 23.31 inches of precipitation in total that year, compared to 16.65 inches so far this year.
DC Water recommends that customers wash full loads of laundry, turn off faucets while brushing their teeth, and keep their showers short, among other measures.
The city currently sources most of its water from the Potomac River, snaking down from the Allegheny Mountains. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Washington Aqueduct, completed in 1863, supplies that water to customers in Washington, Arlington County, and Falls Church, Virginia.
“The Potomac River is our only source of water, and if severe drought conditions threaten that source, we have no other alternatives today,” said DC Water CEO and General Manager David L. Gadis.
