"Boil Water Advisory" Issued in Washington DC

The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) issued a “Boil Water Advisory” for some customers in the Washington DC area.

“DC Water advises customers to not drink or cook with their water without boiling it first if they are in the impact area which includes the neighborhoods of Fort Lincoln, Woodridge, and Langdon,” the alert said.

“DC Water issues a boil water advisory for some customers in NE. We advise customers to not drink or cook with their water without first boiling it for one minute. The earliest the advisory will be lifted is Tuesday, May 30,” DC Water tweeted.

DC Water issues a boil water advisory for some customers in NE. We advise customers to not drink or cook with their water without first boiling it for one minute. The earliest the advisory will be lifted is Tuesday, May 30. Visit https://t.co/wu2k2bYdqA for map of impacted areas. pic.twitter.com/1NeQvZE4f1

— DC Water (@dcwater) May 29, 2023

DC Water issued a boil water notice for the neighborhoods of Fort Lincoln, Woodridge and Langdon. What customers in the affected area should do: https://t.co/RNphZnH1L6 pic.twitter.com/B9FDYJO3gl

— NBC4 Washington (@nbcwashington) May 29, 2023

From DC Water:

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. This advisory will remain in place until follow-up testing confirms the water is safe to drink.

Customers in the impacted area should:

Discard any beverages and ice made before and during this 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.

On the evening of Sunday, May 28, 2023, DC Water received a number of calls from customers in Northeast DC who were experiencing low or no water pressure. DC Water is still investigating the cause and working to restore system pressure.

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.

“Today we will collect water samples at 4-5 locations in the area of NE DC currently under a boil water advisory. Two rounds of sampling will be needed to lift the advisory which we expect will be on Wednesday,” DC water wrote.

May 29 UPDATE: Today we will collect water samples at 4-5 locations in the area of NE DC currently under a boil water advisory. Two rounds of sampling will be needed to lift the advisory which we expect will be on Wednesday.https://t.co/5TqJRTdV7Y

— DC Water (@dcwater) May 29, 2023

DC Water wrote:

These samples will be analyzed at DC Water’s laboratory. Test results should be available Tuesday afternoon. A second round of sampling will also take place tomorrow. Following two consecutive days of clear samples, DC Water will lift the current boil water advisory, which we expect will be on Wednesday.

DC Water crews will open hydrants in the area to flush the distribution system by circulating fresh water through the system. This process can be repeated if needed.