DC Water bills go up Thursday, and here's what that $9 a month is supposed to fix
The authority's new FY2027 rates take effect October 2, landing during an already anxious moment for DC water customers still thinking about last month's aqueduct emergency.
In brief
A bill increase lands on a bad day for DC Water's credibility
Starting this Thursday, October 2, every DC Water customer opens the new fiscal year with a bigger bill. The timing is not lost on anyone.
Just weeks after a power failure at the Washington Aqueduct sent 1.9 million people scrambling for bottled water and DC authorities imposed emergency conservation restrictions, the city's water authority is rolling out its FY2027 rate schedule. DC News Now reported that the 6-percent increase, announced on September 30, will push the average residential monthly bill from about $147 to $156, a jump of roughly $9. That is the bill residents will see starting Thursday. Not next month. Not after the election. Thursday.
The rate hike itself is not a surprise. DC Water presented this as part of a two-year rate proposal covering FY2027 and FY2028, beginning October 1, 2026 and October 1, 2027 respectively, and this is the sixth time the authority has brought forward a multi-year rate proposal in this format. The board voted on the final structure in early September. What changed between the original proposal and what takes effect Thursday is the size of the increase.
The original proposed increase was 7.5 percent. DC Water kept the increase below 6 percent by removing a proposed Public Inconvenience Fee, absorbing those costs, and finding ways to work more efficiently. That fee, tied to the permits DC Water pulls when it digs up streets for Lead Free DC pipe replacements and other construction, would have added about $2.28 a month to the average bill on top of everything else. The authority ate that cost instead.
Lola Oyeyemi, DC Water's interim chief financial officer, told a May town hall that most of the rate increase "is going to be used to invest in our aging infrastructure, as well as pay for the Clean Rivers project and Lead Free D.C., and about $2.28 is for the pass-through fees." That town hall drew a thin crowd. Those who did show up asked very few questions, and no one asked about the plan to raise monthly rates by almost $10 per month in FY2027.
What the money is supposed to pay for
The rate structure is built around a $9.69 billion capital program spread over a decade. According to DC Water, the new rates will help pay for replacing old water and sewer pipes, replacing lead service lines through the Lead Free DC program, improving major sewer systems including the 54-mile Potomac Interceptor, updating wastewater treatment facilities, and continuing improvements at the Washington Aqueduct.
That last item on the list takes on a different weight this fall. The aqueduct emergency exposed exactly how old and brittle pieces of the system can be. DC Water's capital plan starts with a 10-year budget of $9.69 billion and a lifetime project budget of $17.4 billion, with capital priorities focused on large sewers, transmission mains, and urgent work on the Potomac Interceptor after a recent collapse.
The Potomac Interceptor is the 54-mile sewer main that carries wastewater from much of Northern Virginia and parts of Maryland through the District to the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant. DC Water's wholesale rate presentation called for $2 billion to advance the rehabilitation of the major interceptors. That work cannot wait. Parts of the line are decades past their design life, and a failure there would be far worse than a conservation notice.
On the lead side, DC Water has committed $1 billion to the Lead-Free DC program, leveraging federal funds including money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for lead removal. Lead Free DC replaces the old lead service lines that still connect thousands of District homes to the water main. Federal infrastructure money has covered a portion of that bill, but ratepayers are covering the rest.
The affordability question
DC Water insists it is not ignoring lower-income customers. Through August 2026, more than 4,400 customers received $2.6 million in bill assistance. DC Water's Board of Directors also approved $1 million to extend the Payment Plan Incentive Program, which gives eligible residential customers with past-due balances bill credits when they make consecutive on-time monthly payments.
DC Water offers assistance programs to help eligible customers manage water and sewer bills. Depending on income, a customer could get between $19 and $137 a month off their bill. The authority calls the program "DC Water Cares." It covers bill assistance, payment plans, and help finding and fixing hidden leaks that drive up water use and cost.
Still, 4,400 enrolled customers out of a city of roughly 700,000 is a small share of the residents who might qualify. DC Water has not publicized enrollment numbers relative to the eligible population, and the authority has not said whether the aqueduct emergency in September pushed new applicants to seek help. The $9-a-month average increase sounds modest in isolation. Over a year that is $108. For a family already watching every bill, that matters.
DC Water CEO David Gadis acknowledged at the May town hall that many things are more expensive these days, saying, "As we developed this proposed budget our focus remained clear and that was balancing affordability with the continuing investments needed to maintain safe, reliable and resilient water."
The bigger picture: more increases ahead
Thursday's increase is not the last one. DC Water's own rate comparison documents show the average monthly residential water and sewer bill rising from $101.80 in FY2026 to $107.86 in FY2027, with a further increase to $114.36 projected for FY2028. Those figures cover DC Water's retail portion of the bill. When District pass-through charges are included, the total tab is higher.
DC Water plans to raise monthly rates by almost $10 per month in 2027 and another $8 monthly in 2028. The FY2028 increase requires a separate board vote next year, but the trajectory is not in dispute.
For context, DC Water rates have climbed steadily since at least 2016 as the authority works through its Clean Rivers consent decree with the federal government. Those increases have been primarily to cover the cost of investing in aging infrastructure, along with the ongoing Clean Rivers initiative to restore the health of the Anacostia and Potomac rivers by reducing sewage overflows. That mandate has legal force. DC Water cannot simply pause the work.
The rate vote came and went in early September with minimal public opposition. All public comments and feedback from the hearing were provided to DC Water's Board of Directors for its consideration ahead of the vote to approve the FY2027 and FY2028 rates and fees on September 3, 2026. The board approved the structure. The political debate that did not happen at the board level may now arrive in a different form, because the increase takes effect 33 days before the general election.
The political context
Whoever wins the mayor's race on November 3 inherits DC Water's rate trajectory immediately. The FY2027 rates are effective October 1, 2026, and FY2028 rates will follow on October 1, 2027. That means the next mayor, in office by January 2027, will be in charge when residents start receiving their first FY2027 bills in full and when the FY2028 proposal comes up for approval.
DC Water is technically an independent authority governed by a board of directors, not a mayoral agency. But the mayor appoints board members and sets the political temperature around rate decisions. Janeese Lewis George, the Democratic nominee for mayor, has made cost-of-living pressures a central theme of her campaign. How she plans to engage with DC Water's capital program and rate structure once in office is a question her transition team has not yet answered publicly.
DC Water's rates cover water and sewer services, including operation of the largest advanced wastewater treatment plant in the world at Blue Plains. Running a facility that size, in a city with aging 19th-century pipe networks running under its streets, is expensive. That has always been true. What is new is that residents are being asked to absorb that cost in the same month they were told their water system nearly failed.
The Rumsey Aquatic Center in Northeast closed to the public today, October 1, for demolition ahead of a reconstruction project. The Department of General Services and the Department of Parks and Recreation held a final community meeting to share the latest design before demolition begins, with the current facility closing October 1, 2026 to allow for demolition and construction. A pool closure is a small thing. A water rate increase is not. Both land on the same day.
What D.C. Residents Should Watch
Your October bill: The new rates apply to billing cycles starting October 2. Check whether your bill reflects the FY2027 schedule and compare it against your September statement. The increase should appear as higher line-item charges for water, sewer, and Clean Rivers fees.
DC Water Cares enrollment: If your household income is below the program threshold, you may qualify for $19 to $137 off your monthly bill. Apply at dcwater.com or call DC Water directly. The authority has not set a deadline for FY2027 enrollment.
The FY2028 rate vote: DC Water's board will take up the FY2028 rate schedule in a public hearing before September 3, 2027. That is the real moment for public pressure. Most people missed the FY2027 hearing. Mark this one.
Lead Free DC pipe replacement schedule: DC Water is replacing lead service lines neighborhood by neighborhood. If your street has not been scheduled yet, the authority's website lists the replacement timeline by ward. The $1 billion program depends partly on federal infrastructure funds whose future congressional appropriations are not guaranteed.
Mayoral candidates on utility oversight: With the November 3 general election approaching, ask the candidates on your ballot directly: how will they use the mayor's DC Water board appointments, and what is their position on the rate trajectory through FY2028 and beyond?
Analysis note: Rate figures in this article come from DC Water's official FY2027 rate documents and board presentations. The $9 monthly average increase figure is DC Water's own estimate for a typical residential customer using 5.42 Ccf per month.
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CAN I KICK IT? screens New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument, on Aug. 22. (Courtesy SHAOLIN JAZZ)
The live-cinema series CAN I KICK IT? returns to the National Mall this month with what its producers are calling the "Gangsters on the Mall" chapter of their free outdoor summer run. On Saturday, August 22, the SHAOLIN JAZZ production brings the 1991 crime classic New Jack City to the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument for a night of film, music, and community under the DC summer sky.
What sets the event apart is the sound. As the film plays, DJ 2-Tone Jones builds an original score in real time, reimagining one of the most iconic crime movies of the ’90s through hip-hop, soul, funk, and more. It is less a movie screening than a live performance built around the film.
The details:
Film: New Jack City (1991), with a live soundtrack by DJ 2-Tone Jones
When: Saturday, August 22 — seating opens at 7:30 p.m. (bring lawn chairs and blankets); film begins at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument, Independence Ave SW & 15th St NW
A parking note from the organizers: expect road closures and restricted parking east of 14th Street NW due to a separate race event in the District. Roads west of 14th Street NW will be accessible and available for parking.
New Jack City is the second of three screenings in this year’s free CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series, which opened with Black Panther at Skyland Town Center and concludes with Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial on September 5. Produced by the Washington, DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, the series has presented more than 150 live cinematic experiences at venues across the country, from Lincoln Center to SXSW.
"I wanted to be able to tell good stories with substance and remove the ‘ego’ out of the art," said Andrew Huang during a recent interview. Now, he’s building his career at the intersection of discipline, creativity and innovation.
Andrew Huang, founder of New Place Studios. (Courtesy photo)
As a Chinese American, Huang was reared with a deep respect for hard work, consistency and excellence. He describes his childhood as "not so affluent" and later attended college to hone his passion for videography. "In college I tried to do something I loved, which was video, but along the way I knew that I had to find a job. And so I thought, ‘what was the low hanging fruit to get to that stable 9 to 5 job?,’" he stated.
Later in life, Huang found himself working for corporations where his creativity was often limited, eventually leading to burnout. "I worked in a corporation for a long time and there were a lot of missing pieces. I wanted to fill in gaps missing in corporate video production," said Huang.
He later described how his upbringing and a mindset of "survival" led him toward a corporate career. However, his desire for balance and authentic storytelling ultimately pushed him to take the entrepreneurial leap.
"I founded a new place where you can create video and film with ‘substance and style,’" said Huang. His desire for work-life balance and passion for storytelling naturally evolved into a small business based in Virginia. With the launch of New Place Studios, the entrepreneur quickly found himself reconnecting with the values that would become the foundation of everything he creates behind the camera.
Huang said being a business owner has allowed him to first embrace himself. While others may see video as simply capturing moments, he sees it as a way to preserve stories that inspire, connect and leave a lasting imprint.
By combining cinematic visuals with cutting-edge production techniques and a keen understanding of branding, Huang helps organizations and individuals communicate their vision with purpose. He said understanding a client’s "why" serves as the compass for delivering the services they need.
One benefit of working with a small business, he said, is that clients get to see the production process unfold through a micro lens while working with the same faces throughout the entire project. "The work feels personal," said Huang.
Huang does not regret leaving behind the flash-over-substance mentality and corporate hustle culture. That does not mean the Asian American entrepreneur has been without challenges in the industry. "It’s relatively hard to find other Asian American creatives or people who would want to work with me in the DMV," said Huang.
He identifies the industry culture in which everyone is trying to blend in, creatives may fear displaying their Asian identity and some feel pressure to adopt an American corporate persona. He also points to what he describes as a level of gatekeeping within the industry. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 statistics, Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs own more than 3 million businesses and employ 5.2 million people in the United States.
After tapping into organizations such as SCORE, which offers free small business mentorship, New Place Studios has become a trusted creative partner throughout the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia). The company produces a range of creative services, including commercials, corporate branding, documentaries, film, 2D animation, motion graphics and photography.
For Huang, entrepreneurship has become more than a departure from corporate life. It has given him the freedom to create with intention, build meaningful connections and tell stories that go beyond the surface.
The 2026 CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
For three Saturdays this summer, some of Washington’s most familiar public spaces will do something they rarely do after dark: fill up with blankets, lawn chairs, and the sound of a movie being scored live, in real time. CAN I KICK IT?, the traveling “live cinema” series produced by the DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, is bringing a free outdoor run to the city — pairing three era-defining films with an original soundtrack performed on the spot by DJ 2-Tone Jones.
The premise is what sets it apart from a normal screening in the park. Rather than simply pressing play, 2-Tone Jones builds a score as the film unfolds, pulling from hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, rock, electronic music, and sounds from around the world. The result, the organizers say, is less a movie night than a one-time performance — the same film you know, wired to a soundtrack you have never heard and will not hear again. Guest DJs warm up the crowd starting at 7:30 PM before each 8:30 PM screening.
The 2026 outdoor schedule
All three events are free and open to the public.
Saturday, August 8 — Black Panther at Skyland Town Center. A pop-up marketplace and community activities kick off the evening; guest DJs at 7:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM. Marvel’s superhero epic gets a one-night-only live score in Southeast DC.
Saturday, August 22 — New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument. Seating begins at 7:30 PM; the film starts at 8:30 PM. The 1991 crime drama plays out at the foot of one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.
Saturday, September 5 — Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial. Seating at 7:30 PM; film at 8:30 PM. The series closes with Brian De Palma’s crime saga against the backdrop of the Memorial, scored live from start to finish.
First up: Black Panther at Skyland Town Center on August 8. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
A DC company with a national footprint
SHAOLIN JAZZ describes itself as a Washington-based arts company working at the intersection of music, film, art, and culture, and CAN I KICK IT? is its signature production. According to the organizers, the series has staged more than 150 live cinematic experiences around the country — at performing arts centers, museums, festivals, and cultural institutions including Lincoln Center in New York, SXSW, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Republic Square in Austin, the Tacoma Armory, and The Cary Theater.
“CAN I KICK IT? has always been about creating a shared experience,” said Gerald Watson, co-founder of SHAOLIN JAZZ. “When you combine iconic films with live music in public spaces, something special happens. People aren’t just watching a movie — they’re experiencing it together. That’s what makes these nights so memorable.”
Cinema as a community event
The DC run lands as cities across the country look for new ways to activate public space through arts and culture — and this series is a straightforward pitch for how to do it: take a landmark everyone already knows, add a film everyone has an opinion about, and let a live soundtrack turn the evening into something neighbors experience shoulder to shoulder. Families, film buffs, and music fans are all invited, and admission won’t cost a thing.
The CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series runs August 8, August 22, and September 5. All events are free; check SHAOLIN JAZZ (shaolinjazz.com) for the latest details and any weather updates before heading out.
