Water is necessary to sustain all forms of life on Earth, and on Sept. 29, people flocked to Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library for the Office of the People’s Counsel (OPC) Water Services Division’s (WSD) inaugural community Water Summit, to discuss the most abundant and vital resource on the planet.
The summit, intended to inform community members and leaders about affordability programs and water conservation efforts, featured panel discussions and breakout rooms curated for consumers with questions and concerns regarding water quality and accessibility in the District.
Residents from all four quadrants were given the platform to ask questions and hold various water and energy agencies accountable, while also shedding light on the issues they face in their communities.
“This year’s summit arrives at a pivotal moment,” said OPC Executive Director Sandra Mattavous-Frye. “As we close out the fiscal year and prepare for new application windows for vital utility discount, incentive and conservation programs, it is more important than ever to ensure that consumers are informed and supported.”
According to the Earth Information Center, although water covers the majority of the planet’s surface, only 1% of the Earth’s water is accessible for use, whether it be for consumption, agriculture, electricity and other operations.
Despite this lack of water, population growth, development and agricultural practices have led to an increase in water demand. The World Economic Forum’s Centre for Nature and Climate reported that between 1900 and 2024, annual water use worldwide grew by 3,500 billion cubic meters, and global water demand is expected to increase by 400 billion cubic meters annually.
Since D.C. relies on the Potomac River for approximately 78% of the metropolitan area’s water, consumers could become incredibly vulnerable in the face of potential climate-change-related pollution or drought.
“Water is often overlooked, which to me, is a living tragedy,” Mattavous-Frye said to the summit’s audience. “Water is life-sustaining, seasonless, timeless and affects all aspects of our lives, yet too often we take it for granted.”
Protecting D.C.’s Water Requires Funding, Collaboration
Attendees were able to participate in a breakout session with representatives from government agencies, environmental organizations and advocacy groups to discuss water conservation and sustainability efforts taking place throughout the city.
Speakers from D.C. Water, the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE), the Center for Water Security and Cooperation, Nature Forward and the Sierra Club presented the work their respective affiliations are doing to safeguard D.C.’s water supply while answering questions and addressing concerns from the audience.
One of the representatives from DOEE was Arielle Conti, who heads the Riversmart branch of the agency’s Watershed Protection sector. This branch focuses on fostering environmental stewardship across communities by promoting green stormwater infrastructure installations across the District. Initiatives like this are necessary due to the fact that stormwater runoff flows into and can pollute the city’s water supply.
“Envision a D.C. where you’re able to jump into the Potomac and Anacostia [rivers] and go for a swim in the summertime, where you’re able to go onto a boat, catch… and eat those fish from the Anacostia,” Conti said. “My department is helping to create that vision of the future here in D.C.”
Ward 5 resident and president of the Woodridge Civic Association, Jeremiah Montague Jr., commends the work Conti’s department has done in his community. The Riversmart programs have helped protect the Hickey Run watershed, which covers 1,100 acres and has a one-mile-long stream.
While Montague Jr. appreciates the work the Watershed Protection sector has done, he lives in an area with a high water table, meaning the groundwater’s elevation is close to the surface, causing increased moisture, which could pose problems for roadways and underground infrastructure. Without proper stormwater runoff mitigation tactics and solutions that are sustainable in the long term, areas like these are more prone to flooding during rainy weather.
“I think that the stormwater management program, if it had more money, there are some stormwater mitigation things they could put in place,” Montague Jr. told The Informer. “They’re just constrained by available funds.”
The city’s Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget will bring deep cuts to the DOEE, meaning many of the agency’s critical water conservation and protection efforts will be cut. Green infrastructure, like rain gardens and bioswales, helps soak up excess stormwater, protecting the city from flooding and reducing the amount of pollution entering its waterways. With the FY26 budget, funds to maintain this kind of infrastructure will be eliminated.
In light of these cuts, residents can use their power to help agencies like DOEE protect D.C.’s water supply, since making strides toward a greener future requires collaboration across the government, communities and organizations. Residents can request RiverSmart Homes to plant a tree– one of the District’s best storm management tools– on their property.
“I would love to see more collaboration between volunteer organizations and more official bodies because their budgets are going to be cut continually, so we need to get creative,” said Ward 5 resident and agroecologist Eva Christensen, who attended the summit to become more locally involved in environmental efforts.
Residents Call for Renewed Focus on Green Education
Education is also a big factor when it comes to spreading environmental awareness and mobilizing toward long-term sustainability efforts. Montague Jr. feels like educational resources similar to those that were pushed when he was younger aren’t as widespread as they once were.
“I think we’re too easy to move on when one thing doesn’t work with a generation, we just pass it on and say, ‘We’ll fix it in the next,’ leaving a whole lot of people in a lurch behind,” Montague Jr. told The Informer.
Christensen shares the same sentiment. She hopes leaders make the effort to bring widespread environmental programming to schools to inspire younger generations to influence their families toward being more sustainable.
When she was in the fourth grade, growing up in Exeter, New Hampshire, Christensen’s school hosted a months-long contest to see which grade could collect the most recyclable litter from the streets and woods in exchange for a barbecue celebration. The contest also raised funds to build an Olympic-sized swimming pool, tennis courts and changing rooms in the community.
“I think we need to come back to that, because entire generations have grown up without being faced with that information and the importance of not littering, not cutting down trees, not dumping paint in your backyard,” she told The Informer. “All of those things were so well-addressed in the ‘70s that we kind of cut back on addressing [them] since then.”
OPC’s Water Summit, while curated to address water concerns in the District, also opened the floor for environmentally conscious conversations that went beyond the city’s water supply and consumer rights. With various topics discussed, concerns voiced and the chance to hold agencies accountable, the event effectively propelled OPC’s mission to serve as advocates for the region’s consumers.
“Knowledge is power,” said Mattavous-Frye. “OPC and our partners want to empower all D.C. residents… to use the information that we’re providing to enhance your ability to make informed decisions and lifestyle changes.”
