Remember last week, when the Washington Post reported that Pepco had received several million dollars more in federal tax credits over the past few years than it had paid in taxes? more ›

About 98 times a year, the District gets enough rain that its aging combined sewer system overflows, dumping roughly 2.5 billion gallons of wastewater in the Anacostia and Potomac rivers, as well as into Rock Creek. But today, D.C. Water broke ground on a $2.6 billion project that will all but eliminate the overflow, making area rivers and the Chesapeake Bay significantly cleaner in the process. more ›

At some point in 2012, 10 cultivation centers will start growing marijuana as part of the District's long-awaited medical marijuana program. As we've written before, what with application fees and security plans, it won't be a particularly cheap undertaking. Now would-be cultivators may have one more thing to worry about -- their electric bills. more ›

In order to comply with proposed regulations requiring it to reduce the frequency and length of outages, Pepco wants to raise rates inside the District. But the much-maligned utility is experiencing some pushback from the city's Office of the People's Counsel, which has filed a motion with the District's Public Service Commission to dismiss the utility's request to raise rates. more ›

If you're reading this right now and you live inside the District, you probably get a friendly visit in your mailbox (or your email inbox) from a Pepco bill every month. But even among an ocean of cable, internet, gas and cell phone bills which are bloated with all kinds of taxes and surcharges, Pepco's billing stands out. The news that the D.C. Public Service Commission has rejected the utility's request to add a proposed 15th surcharge to District customers' bills is incredibly good news -- as much for customers' ability to read and understand their bill as the small savings that it may mean. more ›

As far as D.C.-based public information videos go, D.C. Water's new Wendy the Waterdrop clip is already near the top of the heap. (At the very least, Wendy is way, way better than WMATA's Second Lifers whose dialog is no better than a low budget Italian horror flick dubbed with speech software.) Today, Wendy has a hard-hitting chat with Rich Giani, D.C. Water's Water Quality Manager, in which Giani explains why D.C.'s water sometimes appears discolored coming out of the tap. more ›

DC Water released a workzone alert this afternoon stating they would be replacing water main valves between Euclid and Kalorama Streets on 16th Street NW, beginning at 7 p.m. this evening. If you live in the area, your access to water could be limited for -- wait for it -- "2 to 10 hours." Yowza. But our friend Sommer Mathis says neighborhood residents shouldn't fret too much: "While digging will start at 7, water in this area won't actually be shut off until closer to 9 p.m., according to spokesperson Alan Heymann, and it's expected to be turned back by 5 a.m. at the latest." more ›

Several street closures are in effect this morning in Foggy Bottom due to a water main break in the area. Two westbound lanes on Pennsylvania Ave. NW at 20th Street are closed, as are parts of I Street between 20th and 21st NW, and all southbound lanes at the intersection of 21st and K streets NW. Authorities expect the general vicinity of 21st Street between K and Pennsylvania to remain a mess throughout the morning. MORE: DC WASA spokesperson Alan Heymann tells DCist the water main in question was installed all the way back in 1859. That's some old main! more ›

Sick and tired of the strong taste and smell of this year's extra-long water chlorine treatment cycle? The Washington Aqueduct will at last be returning to chloramine instead of chlorine starting at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, May 18. more ›

The power is currently out across a swath of Glover Park and upper Georgetown, an area bounded approximately by P St. NW, MacArthur Blvd., W St. NW, and Wisconsin Ave. NW. more ›

The D.C. Water and Sewer Authority is set to do something it has never done before: Host a series of town hall meetings, co-hosted by D.C. Council members, to discuss water issues with the public. Tired of that chlorine smell? Still confused about lead pipe replacement? Wondering when the hydrant on your block will be repaired? Stop by one of these meetings, where WASA officials will be on hand to answer your questions. Wards 8, 3 and 5 are up first: more ›

A number of power outages could make commutes home Tuesday evening fairly dicey. more ›

A reader writes in to the DCist tip line:

I know DC adds chlorine to the year this time every year, but has it seemed especially bad to anyone else this week? I smell like a pool (after showering, of course). Any word on when they’ll reduce the chlorine levels again?

Temperatures are expected to get up into the lower 40s today, which is prime snow melting weather. With another winter storm possible on Monday, the last thing the city needs is to end up with major flooding -- especially the kind of flooding that can turn into giant sheets of ice overnight. So here's a quick reminder from the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority: please, please, please help by shoveling out storm drains. As WASA head George Hawkins told WTOP, "The water needs some place to go." To report a clogged catch basin or flooding in your area, call D.C. WASA's emergency line at (202) 612-3400. more ›

More than a few of us at DCist have been chatting over the past week about how this month's double-whammy snow storms provided at least one hidden benefit: to our wallets. Not being able to really go out and spend money for almost a full week has left us with slightly heftier bank balances than normal. Great for us, not so great for local businesses, but hopefully that'll all balance out soon enough. more ›

DCist reader Damian Bednarz sends in this image, from Woodley Place and Cathedral Drive in Woodley Park, of a once mighty tree felled by the unforgiving weight of 20 inches of frozen water. Downed trees are just one more hazard we need to be mindful of as we wait out the rest of this potentially historic storm. more ›

The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority desperately needs to change its image. After years of disturbing lead findings, toxic chlorine pollutants, chronically broken fire hydrants, and the like, they're hardly seen as the District's most efficient agency. more ›

We first heard about Earth Aid last autumn, when the D.C.-based group enlisted several D.C. Council members to launch a green rewards network. Earth Aid encourages residents to lower their utility usage by helping to monitor their electric, natural gas, and water bills. Consumers earn points, redeemable for rewards from local business partners, when their usage drops a certain amount below their own personal baseline. One point can be earned for every kilowatt hour of electricity, 10 cubic feet of natural gas, or 20 gallons of water saved. more ›

A water main break Tuesday evening at in the 1700 block of Columbia Rd. NW flooded the basement of Mixtec restaurant in Adams Morgan, forcing the owners to close their doors last night, as the Post reports. However a call to Mixtec this morning confirms they intend to reopen today, just as soon as the gas and water companies arrive to restore their service and give them the all-clear. Manager Pepe Montesinos said he was aiming to be back open by about noon, but it'd be a good idea to call (202) 332-1011 to make sure everything is a go before you head over. more ›

The District Department of Transportation says two streets continue to be closed due to the earlier water main break this morning at 17th and P streets NW: 17th Street is closed between Q and P, and P Street is closed between 16th and 18th. more ›

UPDATE: A reader sends in this photo showing the main break, which does indeed look massive. The tipster adds that water was "a foot deep, and fast in many places." more ›

DC WASA has lifted the precautionary boil water advisory that it issued on Monday, December 7 after the Shepherd Park neighborhood lost water pressure that day. Authorities say they conducted comprehensive testing of the water system during the past 48 hours and have confirmed the water is now safe to drink. Boiling tap water or consuming bottled water is no longer necessary, they said. However, as an added precaution, WASA recommends discarding any food or ice that was prepared with water that was not boiled between 11 a.m. Monday, December 7 and today, December 9 at 3:30 p.m. In addition, any faucets or taps that have not been used during the water advisory should be flushed for 10 minutes. more ›

A gas leak earlier today inside the Cuban Interests Section of the Swiss Embassy caused part of 16th Street NW to be closed between Euclid St. and Columbia Rd. The road has since reopened and Washington Gas Co. was on the scene to address the leak. more ›

Brentwood Road NE is currently closed from Rhode Island Ave. to Saratoga Ave. due to a gas leak, according to District Department of Transportation spokesperson John Lisle. A construction crew working in the area caused the leak when they struck an underground gas line, Lisle said. more ›

Some folks in Columbia Heights are reporting that their power has been out since last night. DCist first got word of the outage at around 10 p.m. Monday night, which occurred thanks to a smoking manhole at 1328 Park Rd NW. The affected areas are along parts of Park Road between 11th and 13th Streets NW, 13th Street between Kenyon and Park, and Monroe between 13th and 11th. Others in the same area, however, have reported no problems. Pepco's outage map shows that over 400 customers continue to be without power this morning, with an estimated repair time currently listed at 3 p.m. more ›

The District Department of Transportation reports that as of about 11:45 a.m., a water main break has forced 16th Street NW to close in both directions between V Street and Euclid Street. The main break occurred in the 2400 block of 16th Street NW. more ›

A few D.C. public schools may have been down to the wire when it came to completing renovations and repairs for the first day of school today, but parents at Garfield Elementary School can hardly blame DCPS for a water main break that shut the school down this morning. Repair work began at around 10 a.m. on a 12" water main that broke at 22nd Street and Southern Ave. SE this morning, but in the meantime, the Garfield campus has been left without running water. WJLA is reporting that Garfield students are being moved to Winston and Stanton Elementary Schools until the water comes back on. Talk about a hectic first day for these kids. more ›

A power outage affecting between 200-400 customers in the vicinity of 14th and Belmont Streets NW is expected to be repaired in the next couple of hours, but may affect rush hour traffic heading up 14th Street or 15th Streets this evening. Pepco is working to restore a blown feeder in the area, but we've got conflicting reports as to whether any traffic signals are currently down. Proceed with caution in that direction this evening. more ›

Police and fire officials blocked off both Florida Ave NW and Belmont Street NW between 13th and 14th Streets to clean up flooding caused by multiple water main breaks near the area. more ›

If your route home takes you through Thomas Circle, you're being advised to find an alternate route this evening thanks to some downed electrical wires. The wires are blocking eastbound traffic on Massachusetts Avenue NW at the entrance to the tunnel under Thomas Circle, according to DDOT. All eastbound traffic must detour around the circle in order to continue on Massachusetts. Emergency crews are already on scene and PEPCO is on its way. more ›