A long-standing boil water advisory in parts of Arlington, Virginia, and Northwest D.C. has ended after testing did not find any contamination following a water main break near the Chain Bridge.
Thousands of customers in the affected areas can resume using tap water for all purposes, Arlington County and D.C. officials told WTOP on Sunday morning.
Customers formerly under the advisory should let their water run for a few minutes to release air or sediment that may have accumulated in the lines. Automatic ice makers and water chillers should also be emptied and thoroughly cleaned.
See the areas that were affected on maps from Arlington and D.C. Water.
The Arlington Department of Environmental Services said a series of tests determined no harmful waterborne bacteria were present in the water supply after the bursting of a 36-inch main below Glebe Road early Friday.
Arlington lifted its boil water advisory around 8:30 a.m. Sunday. D.C. followed suit soon after.
The broken water main was a 36-inch transmission line that carries drinking water from D.C.’s Washington Aqueduct Drinking Water Plant to Arlington, travelling underneath the Potomac River.
Following the break, the system lost pressure and some water remained still for a long enough period that officials decided to place the advisory as a precaution.
Glebe Road was initially blocked while crews worked to broken lines and shore up the areas damaged during the break. The road was reopened around 10:25 a.m. Sunday.
Permanent repairs are expected to continue later this week, Arlington County said in a news release Sunday.
Late Saturday morning, excavators were seen peeling back damaged asphalt that buckled when the 50-year-old pipe failed Friday. Crews filled in the area nearest the break with rocks and soil.
“Then we’re going to come in with some base paving to get the road back open,” Collins said.
“The road repairs will not be final, but they’ll be good enough to get the road open, and we’re optimistic we’ll have it open for Monday morning.”
Repairs made overnight to portion of North Glebe Road damaged in Friday’s big water main break but that stretch near Chain Bridge remains closed pending inspection. Check back for updates. pic.twitter.com/DNSeLU2bpE
— Arlington Department of Environmental Services (@ArlingtonDES) November 10, 2019
For the latest road and traffic conditions, see WTOP’s traffic page or listen to updates every ten minutes online or on the air at 103.5 FM.
WTOP’s Neal Augenstein contributed to this report.
