Title: Small Water Tap Insertions
Policy: No public water main shall be tapped or service connections made to a public water main under any circumstances, except by the regular tappers or construction forces of DC Water.
Background:

The policy statement is Article 102.1, Water and Sanitation, Title 21 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR). Small water connections are defined as 2-inch and smaller diameter connections, usually copper pipe, and they are done by tapping the public water main. A detail for these connections is shown on the Office Manual Drawing 34.71-1. Currently a 1-inch diameter water service connection is the smallest connection allowed, but in the past smaller water service connections were allowed. The applicant for a small water connection, who is usually a plumber, is responsible for obtaining all necessary permits from the Plumbing Inspection Branch, Building and Land Regulation Administration, Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA). DCRA is responsible for approval and inspection of all the work by the applicant, except for the tapping of the public water main by DC Water. The applicant is also responsible for all construction work, including excavating around the water main, backfilling the excavation temporary, and permanent repaving of the street. The Department of Water Measurement and Billing (DWMB) of DC Water will tap the public water main, and furnish and install a corporation stop. For these services, DC Water charges a fixed fee to recover the cost of the work. Taps to 6-inch water mains are restricted to certain sizes. If the tap is larger than 2-inches then a tap will not be allowed.
Procedure:
  1. There is no separate application for requesting water connections. The request for water connections is part of the building permit process of DCRA, where one of the steps is the approval by DC Water. When the building permit form comes to the Documents and Permits Section (DPS) or its representative at the One Stop Center, the DPS checks that the applicant has a valid Water and Sewer Availability Certificate, collects the fee for the connection and signs off the building permit application.
  2. DC Water coordinates the work directly with the applicant.
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