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Water Service Area
Capital Improvement Program

Projects in the Water Service Area are required to rehabilitate, replace or extend water mains, storage facilities, and pumping stations in order to provide service to new developments, maintain an adequate water supply for customer service, fire protection, protect the quality of the potable water, and replace water service lines and water meters. As in last year's program, the current 10- year plan reflects the substantial costs of street repaving due to street repair and restoration regulations required of WASA and other area utilities by the District.

The water distribution system includes appurtenances necessary for proper system operation, inspection, and repair. WASA's system includes over 36,000 valves of various sizes. A variety of valve types allow flow control, prevent air entrapment, allow watermain draining, permit flow in only one direction, and allow water transfer between service areas during emergencies. The system also includes more than 8,800 hydrants and approximately 130,000 meters.

A major issue in the water distribution system emerged in FY 2003. The results of the lead sampling and testing program indicated that the system exceeded the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Lead Action Level at the end of FY 2002 and in FY 2003. It is expected that the distribution system will again exceed the Lead Action Level in FY 2004. As a result, the federal Lead and Copper Rule requires that seven percent of lead service lines must be replaced annually as long as the system exceeds the Lead Action Level. Through a combination of service line replacements and sampling, WASA met the replacement requirement in FY 2003, and additional replacements are included in the current 10- year plan to meet the replacement requirements in FY 2004 and FY 2005.

Highlights of this year's CIP are:

Water Service Area Management — $25 million

This program area provides engineering program management services for the water system capital improvements program, including assessment system needs, developing facilities plans and conceptual designs, and managing design consultants through the development of scopes of work, cost estimates, task orders or agreements, and review of design documents.

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Water Pumping Facilities — $83.1 million

This program includes several projects to rehabilitate or replace water pumping stations in the system. The status of these projects follows:

  • The Bryant Street Pumping Station is undergoing a major rehabilitation to meet current code requirements and maintain the reliability of the water distribution system. Work includes replacing 11 high lift pumps, architectural improvements to the building, replacing heating, cooling and ventilating system, site improvements, replacing water mains, cathodic protection of a 48- inch steel water main, rehabilitating the warehouse and shop buildings, upgrading SCADA for the water distribution system, and an electronic security system. Construction is underway and will be completed in winter 2006 at a total cost of $58.5 million.
  • The Fort Reno Pumping Station will be upgraded to improve pressures in the fourth high service area in the northwest quadrant of the District. Design completion was extended to fall 2004 to coordinate this project with construction of a water tank in the fourth high service area. Construction is currently scheduled for spring 2005 through spring 2006 at a total project cost of $2.5 million.
  • The Anacostia Pumping Station will be replaced on the same site it presently occupies, and will include booster pumps and a 30- inch transmission main to increase pressures in the southern portion of the Anacostia first high service area. Design will take place in 2004 with construction beginning in fall 2005 at a total project cost of $19.4 million.

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Water Storage Facilities — $36.7 million

Studies have identified the need for several new storage facilities to support population growth and development, to provide additional water pressure to certain areas of the District, and to provide emergency backup service. The most immediate need is for two million gallons of elevated storage in the southern portion of the Anacostia first high service area. Agreements have been reached to site the facility at St. Elizabeth's Hospital, and necessary approvals and permits are being pursued, with design expected to start in 2004. Also, scheduled for 2004 is the start of a study to locate a site for a two million elevated storage tank in the fourth high service area in the northwest quadrant of the District.

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Water Distribution System — $291.7 million

Capital Improvement Program

This program provides for rehabilitation, replacement or extension of the water distribution system through several categories of projects. With the exception of replacing 12- inch water main in Wisconsin Avenue, the water distribution work performed under the Georgetown Joint Utility Project has been completed. The Georgetown Joint Utility Project is scheduled for completion in FY 2005.

Highlights of the work under this program by project category includes:

  • Valve Replacements — This involves replacing defective valves throughout the water distribution system. Operable valves are necessary to complete the annual flushing program, for routine and emergency system repairs, and for support of capital projects that require valve operation to isolate portions of the system. Three contracts for the replacing 40 large valves (16- inch and larger) are under construction, and four more contracts to replace approximately 100 large valves are under design and construction bids will be advertised in FY 2004 and FY 2005. Additionally, design is underway for replacing small diameter (12- inch and smaller) single- and multi- stem valves at 177 sites throughout the District, and the construction contract will be advertised in FY 2004.
  • Cross Connection Elimination — This project entails eliminating potential cross connections between the water distribution system and the sewer system by removing the connections of fire hydrant drains and blow- offs to the sewer system. Six construction contracts for eliminating cross connections have been completed, and the last construction contract will be completed in FY 2004. All the work required by the EPA's Administrative Order and Consent Decree III- 96- 001- DS was completed on schedule.
  • Dead End Elimination — This will eliminate the potential for stagnant water to accumulate at the ends of water mains and will assist in maintaining water quality in the distribution system. Eliminating dead end water mains is accomplished by looping to other water mains or by providing a fire hydrant to flush the line. There are two projects in the capital program to perform this work. Design for the first project is underway with construction scheduled to begin in FY 2005. Design for the second contract is scheduled for FY 2004.
  • Lead Service Line Replacements — This project entails annual sampling and replacement of seven percent of lead water service lines annually, according to EPA mandate as described above. In FY 2004, $9.7 million has been added to the disbursements budget for this work, $10.4 million has been included in FY 2005.
  • Main Extension and Replacement — Extension and replacement of water mains is required to provide service to new developments, or to replace undersized or defective mains in the system. Two contracts, one to replace 14, 600 linear feet of 12- inch diameter and smaller water main at different locations, and other to replace 3,500 linear feet of 12- inch water main at Livingston Road, S. E. are under construction. Design for replacing 5,000 linear feet of undersized mains is underway, with construction procurement scheduled for FY 2005.
  • Large Diameter Water Main Rehabilitation — This project consists of performing internal joint repairs on large diameter (16- inch diameter and larger) water mains exhibiting a high frequency of joint leaks. It also includes cleaning and lining water mains, if necessary, and replacing or rehabilitating smaller segments of water mains. Work also includes the relocation of water mains from underneath private property when necessary. Design to rehabilitate a 48- inch water main in the third high service area near the Bryant Street pumping station and a 42- inch concrete pipe water main in the second high service area in the northeast quadrant of the District is under construction. Internal Joint Repair Contract 2, involving approximately 48,000 linear feet of water main, is under design with construction procurement scheduled for FY 2004.
  • Distribution/Transmission Mains — These projects include replacing and constructing distribution and transmission mains in the system. A contract to replace 5,000 linear feet of a 20- inch Anacostia first high water main was advertised in 2003. Additionally, design is underway for replacing 6,100 linear feet of 20- inch water main in Minnesota Avenue S. E. with a 30- inch water main, for installing approximately 5,300 linear feet of 24- inch water main to reinforce the supply to the Fort Stanton Reservoirs, and for installing approximately 4,600 linear feet of 16- inch water main in Michigan Avenue NE to reinforce the supply to the McMillan Water Treatment Plant. These three construction contracts will be advertised in FY 2004.
  • Small Diameter Water Main Rehabilitation - Work includes rehabilitating small diameter (12- inch diameter and smaller) water mains to improve water pressure, system reliability and flows in the system, as well as to maintain water quality. Based on pipe condition assessments, the objective is to identify small diameter mains in need of rehabilitation, and to replace or clean and line the mains. Also, included is elimination of dead ends in the system and replacement of associated valves, fire hydrants and house services. Four construction contracts are scheduled for design in FY 2004. A project for the Small Diameter Water Main Rehabilitation program with a total cost of $18.2 million was added to the CIP in FY 2012.
  • Cleaning & Lining Large Diameter Water Mains — Three previously proposed construction contracts for cleaning and lining large diameter water mains (16- inch diameter and larger) with a total cost of $8.9 million were removed from the current 10- year plan, based on hydraulic modeling results. It has been determined that there is minimal hydraulic benefit to cleaning and lining the large diameter mains, and cleaning and lining does not protect the water main from external corrosion. WASA is re- evaluating the rehabilitation program for large diameter water mains and it is likely that alternative rehabilitation or replacement methods will be proposed in the future.

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On-Going Water Projects — $52.1 million

Capital Improvement Program

WASA's Department of Water Services manages projects in this program area. The ongoing program includes small projects for extension of water mains to service new development in the District of Columbia, repairing water main breaks, replacing valves and fire hydrants, replacing water service connections, and other minor water main rehabilitation work. As in last year's program, project budget reflect the substantial costs of street repaving due to the street repair and restoration regulations required of WASA and other area utilities.



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DDOT Water Program — $40.3 million

This program includes projects for relocation, rehabilitation, replacement and extension of water mains, for which the work is completed under District Department of Transportation (DDOT) construction contracts for street paving or reconstruction.

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Metering — $46 million

The residential phase of the Automated Meter Reading (AMR) project was essentially completed by the end of FY 2003, with more than 96,000 residential meters installed. Installation of small commercial meters (2 inches or less) began in May 2003, and by the end of the fiscal year, more than 8,000 meters were in place. After the meter “rightsizing” initiative is completed, large commercial installations (3 inches or larger) will begin early in FY 2004.

Large commercial installations will be more complex than residential installations due to the poor quality of surrounding piping and valves, as well as the size of meter vaults. These commercial installations will require more ancillary work than originally anticipated or budgeted, and the lifetime budget for the AMR project has been increased by approximately $2.0 million to accommodate this additional work. The large commercial phase of the AMR project is scheduled to be completed in FY 2005. Large commercial installations will produce the most significant impact on WASA's revenues, with approximately 50 percent of retail revenues are attributable to the largest 2,500 commercial accounts.

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