DC Water replacing thousands of water meters in the neighborhood and around DC

We’re seeing a lot more of these folks lately.

by Marlene Berlin

We’ve been seeing a lot of DC Water because of its Brandywine Street water main project – and because it’s currently removing our old water meters and meter transmitting units – and replacing them with smart meters.

Almost 90,000 old meters throughout the District are nearing the end of their lifespan. Workers hired by the contractor Smart Grid Solutions are digging up the meters – located under discs like the one pictured below, and replacing the meters and transmitters that beam water usage info to DC Water. Most water meters are located near the street in tree boxes, but some meters are inside houses and will require much more extensive work.

What the meter cap looks like.

What’s underneath the cap (DC Water photo)

The project started in January of 2017 and will be completed in June 2018. According to a worker replacing meters on the block of Albemarle Street between 30th and 32nd Street, there are 30 workers with two supervisors replacing meters in Upper Northwest.

You can track the progress on this interactive map. And for answers to frequently asked questions about the meter replacement project, click here.