DC Water

“A question: anyone had any experience with ADUs? and a compliment to DC Water”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by genghizKen

“Dear PoPville,

1) My husband and I live in a single family home in Brookland. Our house is a classic early 1900s bungalow. We looked at adding a dormer to the back of the top floor of the house to add room for an extra bedroom and bathroom. Long story short it was a little outside of our current budget. Now we have started toying around with the idea of an ADU (“accessory dwelling unit” aka tiny house) or even revamping an Airstream to park in our driveway with the hope that my husband can use it as an office thus freeing up an extra bedroom. I know the city changed the regulations regarding ADUs back in 2016, has anyone had any experience with ADUs? Curious to hear if this is even feasible.

2) We had a very unpleasant surprise last week (more…)

“DC Water Warns Customers About Scammers Impersonating Utility Workers”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by John Sonderman

From DC Water:

“DC Water is warning customers to beware of people claiming to represent the utility to gain access to their homes.

DC Water was made aware of a police report that says two suspects dressed as construction workers approached a home in the 3000 block of M Street, SE. Police say the men claimed to be from DC Water and said they “needed to check pipes inside the home. The homeowner refused to let them in, at which point the suspects produced a handgun and tried to force their way into the home. The homeowner was able to get the door shut and the suspects fled the location.”

The suspects do not work for DC Water and our crews will not try to gain access to a property without prior authorization. If someone claiming to be from DC Water shows up at your door asking for access, please do not allow them in. If you fear for your safety, call 911 immediately to report the suspicious behavior. We also ask that you call our Customer Care Department at (202) 354-3600 to report it. (more…)

“DC Water Implements Assistance Plan for Residents Impacted by Flooding”

By Prince Of Petworth

From DC Water:

“Two initiatives to assist flood victims were announced by DC Water last night, including one that will give residents direct financial assistance with removing standing water damage in their homes.

The two programs are one time only and are aimed at helping customers who were impacted by the historically heavy rainfall of September 10 which caused heavy flooding in upper Northeast DC and across the region. (more…)

Some Basements Got Battered in Yesterday’s Storm. Anyway to Mitigate?

By Prince Of Petworth

It sounds like Edgewood got hit particularly badly.

A reader asks:

“We own a partial basement in Shaw. No issues for the first three years (2014-2017) but since then we’ve had flooding 2-3 times a year. We get the drains snaked regularly, and clean the outside drains of debris. It seems to happen when the pipes are overwhelmed by large storms. No one has been able to provide a fix – any suggestions or plumber/contractor recommendations? Just cleaning up the floods is getting old…thanks!”

More damage: (more…)

“Who is Responsible for Tree Roots Clogging Sewer Line?”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

Last weekend our showers, etc backed up. The plumber was only able to clear the sewer line to the street by using a larger-than-usual snake. See the picture of the tree root that was pulled out. The tree is between the street and the public sidewalk. The tree root is under the public sidewalk. Is the city responsible for fixing this? If yes, who do I contact? What experiences have people had in this type of issue.”

Ed. Note: I am dealing with almost exactly the same issue and believe I need to contact DC Water. Has anyone else gone through this situation?

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