Washington Aqueduct Repairs – Washington DC

Description

According to the National Archive’s index of Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects, WPA crews performed maintenance and repair work on the two giant water conduits of the Washington Aqueduct.

The Washington Aqueduct brings water to the city from the Potomac River at Great Falls. It runs under MacArthur Boulevard (formerly known as Conduit Road) and over Cabin John Creek inside the Union Arch Bridge.  Water arrives at the district’s Dalecarlia and McMillan Reservoirs, where it is settled and stored, then treated and distributed by the DC Water and Sewer Authority. The aqueduct is operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

The exact location of repairs and other work by the WPA are unknown, but were most likely outside the District.  The location shown here is the entry point of the aqueduct into the district and settling ponds.