The Energy and Water Appropriations Bill approved by Congress and signed by President Biden last week contains $500,000 in funding for a secondary water source study for metropolitan Washington, a longtime priority for area leaders. The funding, which will be used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to undertake the study in partnership with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG), the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB), and area water utilities, was announced yesterday during the COG Board of Directors meeting.

The Potomac River currently provides 78 percent of the region’s water supply. In the District of Columbia and Arlington County, it provides 100 percent of the water supply. Together, COG, ICPRB, and water utilities have planned for growth and prepared for drought since the 1980s, investing in upstream reservoirs that can come to the rescue. However, officials note that climate change and other threats to the water supply have increased the need for greater resiliency in the current system and alternatives that would reduce reliance on the Potomac River.

“Our past planning and investments have served us well, but it’s clear that now is the time to evaluate options to address vulnerabilities in our water system to ensure the region remains resilient against threats such as a severe drought,” said COG Board Chair and District of Columbia Councilmember Charles Allen. “We thank our staff, partners, and especially our region’s Congressional Delegation for their leadership. We won’t regret being proactive and forward-looking on a critical issue like water access for millions of residents.”

The region’s four U.S. Senators – Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen from Maryland and Tim Kaine and Mark Warner from Virginia—as well as U.S. Representatives Gerry Connolly from Virginia and Eleanor Holmes Norton from the District of Columbia were instrumental in moving this vital effort forward.

Water utilities and local governments in the region conduct long-term planning and use the results to guide investments in water infrastructure needed to meet future demand and other challenges. Area leaders note that improving resiliency and security by increasing water storage off the Potomac River, for example, will be a significant undertaking requiring substantial resources and analysis.

The study is the first crucial step in an effort that will include designing, building, and operating additional infrastructure to improve the resiliency of the region’s water supply.