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NoVA & DC Plumbing Map

Sheet 3 of 18 · District of Columbia

Bloomingdale and LeDroit Park: floods and sewers

Full map

Bloomingdale and LeDroit Park sit in a drainage area DC Water has named for a floodproofing rebate of up to $3,000, alongside a backwater valve rebate of up to $6,000 where a backup is documented.

Sheet revised November 3, 2026 · who makes this map

Turreted Victorian rowhouses painted teal and red at 4th and T Streets NW
4th and T Streets NW in LeDroit Park.
Who does what here
WaterDC Water mains and public-space lines source
SewerDC Water sewer; the owner's lateral source
PermitsDOB, master plumber for valves source
LicensingDLCP source
Lead pipesDC Water lead map source

Why these two neighborhoods get their own sheet

DC Water says that when sewers fill, a storm can cause overland flooding and backups into homes, particularly in low-lying neighborhoods. Two projects on its flooding page are in this area. The First Street Tunnel in Bloomingdale holds about 8 million gallons as overflow storage in heavy rain. The Northeast Boundary Tunnel is meant to add 90 million gallons of combined-sewer capacity and flood relief for low-lying neighborhoods. The page still describes it as being built, with a 2023 completion date, so we cannot say whether it is finished. Ask DC Water.

DC Water also warns that flooding is still possible in very heavy storms and that owners should consider flood insurance. See basement backups.

Victorian rowhouses and parked cars under snow in Bloomingdale
Bloomingdale's rowhouses in the snow.

Two different rebates

The floodproofing rebate is for the greater Bloomingdale and LeDroit Park drainage areas, up to $3,000. Its FAQ page is old, so confirm it is still open. Per that page, eligibility came from reported flooding at your property or more than one neighbor, you apply only after the work is finished, you must use a DC-licensed contractor, and the work must be permitted if a permit is required. Rebates are not back-dated.

The backwater valve rebate is separate. It pays 100 percent, up to $6,000, to owners who can document a backup in the storm of September 10, 2020, and to combined-sewer owners with a backup on record since 2012. The office is 202-787-2003. Installing the valve takes a permit from a DC-licensed master plumber. See backwater valves.

If a drain is backing up right now, stop using water, keep clear of the sewage and phone 202-612-3400. A claim, if you make one, goes to 202-787-2052.

What the map can't tell you

  • Whether your address falls inside the floodproofing drainage area; DC Water decides eligibility, not this map.
  • Whether the floodproofing rebate is still funded.
  • Whether the tunnel has changed flood risk on your block.
  • Whether your backup is documented well enough to qualify.
Large blue and green tunnel boring machine cutting head at a construction site
Cutting head of a tunnel boring machine for DC Water's Clean Rivers Project, 2014.

Check your own address

  1. Write down the date and what came up the drain, and keep photographs and the plumber's invoice; the rebate asks for documentation.
  2. Phone 202-787-2003 and ask which rebate fits your address.
  3. Ask DC Water, on 202-612-3400, for the current status of the Northeast Boundary Tunnel.
  4. Confirm your plumber's DC master license on the DLCP site before signing.
  5. Read who owns which pipe so you know which part of the line you pay for.

More on checking an address

Survey notes: sources for this page