DC Water
Washington, District of Columbia · 2024 data
DC Water turns the most anxiety-inducing question — “do I have a lead pipe?” — into something a resident can actually answer, with a scratch-and-magnet test matrix and annotated basement photos no other report attempts. It backs that with voluntary PFAS testing against the new federal limits. It remains a PDF, which is the only real ceiling on it.
What their report looks like
How it scored, pillar by pillar
Weighted across five pillars for a 82/100 overall. Each note explains why this report earned that score.
Plain-language clarity25% of score
Plain-language framing throughout, down to putting the cost of bottled water in perspective; the lead self-identification walkthrough is written for a homeowner, not an engineer.
A 5/5 looks like: Every term is translated, units are made tangible (e.g. an Olympic-pool analogy), and each section opens with what it means for you.
Contaminant transparency25% of score
Voluntary PFAS results shown against the new EPA limits with per-site UCMR5 data, and a forthright treatment of lead risk rather than a bare compliance line.
A 5/5 looks like: PFAS, lead and any exceedances are shown with real values against the limits, and problems are disclosed plainly rather than buried.
Information design20% of score
Strong use of annotated photos and a test matrix to encode the lead-check process visually; conventional tables elsewhere keep it just short of the top.
A 5/5 looks like: Contaminant data is visually encoded — charts against limits, multi-year trends, comparisons a layperson reads at a glance.
Digital accessibility & delivery20% of score
Delivered as a downloadable PDF rather than a web-native experience, which limits how accessible it is on a phone.
A 5/5 looks like: A responsive web-native report with navigation, charts, and an address lookup — not just a PDF.
Timeliness & completeness10% of score
Current data with a complete regulated panel plus voluntary PFAS monitoring.
A 5/5 looks like: The most recent data year, with a complete contaminant panel including unregulated/emerging compounds.
marks the cohort average across all 25 reviewed reports.
What it does best
- The best lead-pipe self-identification content anywhere: a scratch-and-magnet test matrix with annotated basement photos.
- Voluntary PFAS results shown against the new EPA limits, plus per-site UCMR5 data.
- Plain-language framing throughout (it even puts the cost of bottled water in perspective).
Where it falls short
It lives as a downloadable PDF rather than a web-native experience, which caps how accessible it is on a phone.
How it compares
DC Water's report ranks #4 of 25 reviewed utilities, with a report-clarity score of 82/100 against a cohort median of 69. That places it in the top 16%.
See the full leaderboardWhat even this report can't tell you
A report describes the water leaving the plant, not what reaches your tap — your building's plumbing is where lead usually enters.
See Washington's water data
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