DC Water issued a boil water advisory for a large swath of Northwest D.C. on Friday evening following a water main break.
The District agency said it was a “precautionary notice to customers in the impacted area to boil water that may be ingested due to water of unknown quality in this localized area of the system. Do not drink the water without boiling it first.” It first reporter a potential break at 31st Street and Aberfoyle Place early Friday afternoon.
The agency distributed free bottled water for drinking and cooking Friday night at Catholic University in Northeast and multiple University of the District Columbia buildings.
Below is a map of the impacted area, which stretches from the National Zoo to the Maryland line.
There is also an interactive map online.
Below is the boil guidance from DC Water:
- Discard any beverages and ice made after Friday, Jan. 19, 2024 11 a.m.
- Run cold water until clear (if discolored) prior to boiling.
- Run cold water for 2 minutes if known sources of lead are present prior to boiling.
- Bring water to a rolling boil for 1 minute and let it cool.
- Store cooled water in a clean, covered container.
Cooled, boiled water or bottled water should be used for:
- Drinking
- Brushing teeth
- Preparing and cooking food
- Washing fruits and vegetables
- Preparing infant formula
- Making ice
- Giving water to pets
Do not use home filtering devices in place of boiled or bottled water.
DC Water said it got calls from customers in Northwest experiencing low or no water pressure. The agency “assessed the system and confirmed low pressure at multiple locations within the impacted area.”
It said crews are still trying to figure out what happened and restore pressure.
The big problem, according to DC Water, is that the loss of pressure in the system can cause “backpressure, backsiphonage, or a net movement of water from outside the pipe to the inside through cracks, breaks, or joints in the distribution system that are common in all water systems.”
That means, gross as it is, that there could be “fecal contamination or other disease-causing organisms could enter the distribution system.”
DC Water said “bacteria and other disease-causing contamination such as viruses and parasites can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, some of the elderly and people with severely compromised immune systems.”
The agency said to seek medical advice if you experience symptoms.
Tests on the water will be done as DC Water continues to investigate.
The advisory will be lifted “when tests on two consecutive days show no bacteria are present and all customers can continue normal water use, which we anticipate will be on Sunday, January 21 at the earliest,” DC Water said.
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