Part of Montgomery County, Maryland, is under a boil water advisory Friday following a water main break.
WSSC Water said customers in the area of Cabin John and Glen Echo are under the advisory after a water main break Thursday night on a 12-inch pipe that runs along MacArthur Boulevard, which has since been repaired.
WSSC Water said Friday afternoon a water station will be open 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Glen Echo Park, at 5801 Oxford Rd., in the parking lot behind the Clara Barton House.
WSSC Water said the water main break caused the system to lose pressure, which means that there is an increased risk of contamination to the water.
On Friday, WSSC said via Twitter that the water main break has been repaired, and a water sample has been taken. The water has to test safe twice before the boil advisory will be lifted; they’re expecting results late Saturday.
“It’s a precautionary boil water advisory, but it is important that customers in the affected area, boil their water,” said Lyn Riggins, spokesperson for WSSC Water.
Customers should boil their water before using it to drink or brush their teeth, prepare baby formula or even before giving it to house pets, according to WSSC Water.
WSSC Water advises bringing water to a rolling boil for one minute, then allowing it to cool before using it.
About 2,200 customers are affected by the advisory, WSSC Water said.
The utility company also said that all stored water, drinks or ice made recently should be discarded. Boiled water can be stored in a clean container with a cover. Water does not have to be boiled before it is used for bathing as long as it is not consumed, according to WSSC Water.
Samples from the area will be tested “to ensure the water is safe for consumption” before lifting the advisory, WSSC Water said.
Riggins told WTOP that testing the water samples takes “a couple of days” so residents should keep that in mind.
She said there is no reason to believe that the water is not safe, but that the advisory was issued “as a precaution because we did lose pressure in that area of the water distribution system.”
WSSC Water has an interactive map for customers to find out if they are under the advisory.
WTOP’s Lauren Hamilton contributed to this report.
