The Georgetown Reservoir is a

reservoir A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation. Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...

that provides water to the

District of Columbia Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

. Part of the city’s

water supply Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Th ...

and treatment infrastructure, it is located in the Palisades neighborhood, about two miles downstream from the Maryland–D.C. boundary. The reservoir was built by the

United States Army Corps of Engineers The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wo ...

as part of the Washington Aqueduct project. It was partially completed by 1858, but work was suspended for lack of funds. Construction began again in 1862, and was complete in 1864. Additional construction and modifications to the reservoir were carried out in the 1860s and 1870s. Water from the Dalecarlia Reservoir is pumped to the Georgetown Reservoir for further

sedimentation Sedimentation is the deposition of sediments. It takes place when particles in suspension settle out of the fluid in which they are entrained and come to rest against a barrier. This is due to their motion through the fluid in response to th ...

before being treated at the McMillan Reservoir. The reservoirs and the nearby Dalecarlia water treatment plant are operated by the Army Corps of Engineers. The treated water is distributed throughout the city in water mains managed by the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority. At the outlet of the Georgetown facility is a sluice gate building that controls the flow of water into Washington City Tunnel, which leads to the McMillan Reservoir. This structure, called the Georgetown Castle Gatehouse, was built by the Army (c. 1901) in the shape of a castle. Due to its distinctive shape and location, the reservoir basin serves as a landmark for the River Visual approach to nearby Ronald Reagan National Airport.

References

External links

Washington Aqueduct
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
DC Water and Sewer Authority
{{Potomac River System Reservoirs in Washington, D.C. Chesapeake Bay watershed Potomac River watershed The Palisades (Washington, D.C.)