What Affects Water Quality?
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The water in the Potomac River, Anacostia River, and Rock Creek flows into the District from outside jurisdictions. For example, the Potomac River begins in West Virginia, while the Anacostia River begins in Maryland. The quality of water in the District is thus affected by activities throughout the watershed. Storm water runoff from commercial, industrial, residential and agricultural sites, point source pollutants from wastewater treatment plants and industrial discharges, and combined sewer overflows from as far away as West Virginia and Pennsylvania all contribute to the quality of water in the District.
Multiple jurisdictions comprise the watersheds as shown below:
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What Are the Water Quality Impacts of CSO?
CSO's can adversely affect the quality of our receiving waters in the following ways:
- CSO's contain material which contributes to high bacteria levels in the receiving waters;
- Organic material in CSO's can contribute to low dissolved oxygen levels, which can contribute to a potential for fish stress or fish kills, especially in summer months; and,
- Debris in CSO's such as plastic bottles, styrofoam cups (otherwise known as "floatables") contribute to poor aesthetics.
DCWASA has developed a Long-Term Control Plan to control CSO's and improve water quality.
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© DC Water and Sewer Authority
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