A two-year study, called Secure the Source, will look at large solutions that could provide emergency water supply for weeks to more than 5 million people in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.
The $25 million study, announced in June, is aimed at finding potential alternatives to the Potomac River water supply. Project partners include water utility leaders from WSSC Water, Fairfax Water, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin
Water utilities and local officials want to find drinking water alternatives to the Potomac River, which is the sole source of drinking water for many people in the greater DC area. Officials have flagged this as a concern should any major event render the river water unusable.
While the recent Potomac River sewage spill did not impact drinking water, it has highlighted infrastructure failure as a potential interruption.
Other interruptions to water supply from the river could include natural disasters, deliberate attacks by bad actors and climate variability. As of June 25, most of the river watershed was in a “moderate drought,” with 30% of its watershed experiencing “severe drought” due to dry spells this summer.
After the study is finished in two years, the group plans on finding funding to design and build the recommended alternative water supply source.