Water and Sewer Authority (WASA), District of Columbia

O’Brien & Gere was retained to assist the Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) on a comprehensive four-year, $200 million program to improve the aging water distribution system serving the District of Columbia. Most of the drinking water infrastructure was constructed before 1945, and some elements date to the Civil War. O’Brien & Gere developed water system planning studies, system analysis, and design upgrades. Work included reviewing operations, training operators, writing operation and maintenance manuals, preparing grant applications under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), providing financial support for entry into the bond market, and keeping records. 

Since the inception of the program, O’Brien & Gere has assisted WASA in obtaining $34.4 million worth of grant funds from the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA’s) SDWA programs to fund 25 projects ranging in value from $0.18 million to $3.48 million. These grants funded 80% of eligible project costs.