WASHINGTON – More than a week after residents in Northwest complained of a “petroleum smell” coming from their running water, the cause and the source of the contamination remain a mystery and questions may stay unanswered.
“These are not typical events,” says George Hawkins, CEO and general manager of DC Water.
“It is very unusual because it is hard to get contaminates inside of a closed, pressurized system,” he explains.
The utility is still investigating but probably will never know, for certain, what caused the issue.
According to Hawkins, in all likelihood, a boiler in an apartment building or business pushed the contamination into the main water system, a rare occurrence called a “cross connection.”
DC Water never determined exactly what the contamination was, but tests indicated there were traces of a “petroleum substance” in the water.
The mystery prompted a water advisory last week that spanned three days, impacted 624 homes and businesses in D.C.’s Shaw neighborhood, according to DC Water.
Three public schools had to close their doors for two days.
There were no reports of anyone getting sick, however, anyone with health questions or concerns should contact their doctor, Hawkins says.
