The Office of the People's Counsel wants you to know that early this morning DC Water issued a Boil Water Advisory for customers in some Northeast DC neighborhoods after a temporary loss of pressure and the possibility of bacteria in the system.
DC Water advises customers to not drink or cook with water without boiling it first if they are in the neighborhoods of Edgewood, Brookland, Fort Lincoln, Woodridge, Queens Chapel, Michigan Park, and North Michigan Park. See shaded area below.
Due to the loss of pressure in the system, it may have been possible for bacteria or other disease-causing organisms to enter the water through cracks, breaks or joints in the distribution system.
The Boil Water Advisory will be lifted when tests on two consecutive days show no bacteria are present and all customers can return to normal water use, which DC Water anticipates will be on Saturday, August 7.
DC Water advises customers to search their address on this interactive map or call the 24-Hour Command Center at (202) 612-3400 to determine if you are in the impacted neighborhoods. Customers in the impacted area should boil water used for drinking and cooking. Customers outside this area can continue normal water use.
DC Water says this is 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.
Customers in the impacted area should:
- Discard any beverages and ice made before and during this overnight advisory.
- 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.
Bacteria and other disease-causing contamination such as viruses and parasites can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for young children, elderly and people with severely compromised immune systems.
This morning DC Water said it has no information that the water was contaminated by this incident, but issues this advisory as a precaution while testing occurs.
Customers with water quality questions should contact DC Water's Department of Water Quality at (202) 612-3440 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).
*You can reach OPC's Water Services Division at (202) 727-3071 or waterinfo@opc-dc.gov. Consumers also can file a service or billing complaint here.
