The mission of the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) is to serve all of its customers with outstanding service by providing reliable and cost-effective water and wastewater services in accordance with best practices.

The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority was created by District law in 1996, with the approval of the United States Congress, as an independent authority of the District government with a separate legal existence. In 1996, regional participants in DC WASA (the former acronym for the water authority), including the District of Columbia, Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland, and Fairfax County in Virginia, as well as the United States Congress, agreed to create an independent, multi-jurisdictional water and wastewater authority. In April 1996, the District of Columbia enacted the Water and Sewer Authority Establishment and Department of Public Works Reorganization Act of 1996, a statute that provided the groundwork for the Authority to become operationally independent beginning October 1, 1996. In recognition of changing times, in June 2010, the agency adopted a new logo and brand name, DC Water, while its official name remained District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority. DC Water is governed by an 11-member regional Board of Directors and provides essential water and wastewater services to more than 2 million residents and businesses throughout the metropolitan region.