Could the DMV survive without the Potomac for drinking water? New study aims to find out

WASHINGTON - Millions of people across the Washington region rely on the Potomac River for drinking water. Now, a new multi-million-dollar study is exploring whether the region needs a backup water source in case the Potomac becomes unusable due to contamination, drought, severe weather or another emergency.

What we know:

Water officials are launching the "Secure the Source" study, a regional effort aimed at identifying alternative drinking water supplies for the D.C. metropolitan area.

Researchers will examine options that could provide several weeks’ worth of emergency drinking water if the Potomac River becomes unavailable.

The study comes after a historic sewage spill into the Potomac River and is designed to evaluate how the region would respond to future disruptions caused by:

• contamination
• drought
• severe storms
• infrastructure failures
• other emergencies

More than 5 million people in the region rely on the Potomac River for drinking water.

What they're saying:

Not everyone is convinced a new backup source should be the priority.

"You’ve got the Shenandoah, you’ve got the Bay, what else? I don’t know where the spread of the Potomac goes," said Bethesda resident Mick Riordon.

Riordon suggested resources might be better spent upgrading existing infrastructure.

The backstory:

The study follows a major sewage spill into the Potomac River that prompted renewed scrutiny of the region’s water infrastructure and emergency preparedness.

Officials say the region currently lacks full redundancy if the Potomac were suddenly unavailable as a drinking water source.

Washington, D.C.News