In separate lawsuits, environmental regulators said D.C. Water failed to prevent and contain a massive spill of raw sewage upstream of Washington.

A Washington Post investigation found that D.C. Water delayed reinforcing an aging sewer line for years before its collapse in January, as the National Park Service undertook a prolonged environmental review. The pipe continued to degrade during this period.

Ratepayers are right to be frustrated about D.C. Water’s performance.