Boil Water Advisory In Effect For Northeast DC Neighborhoods

WASHINGTON, DC — The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority issued a boil water advisory Thursday for some customers in Northeast D.C. after a temporary loss of pressure Wednesday afternoon.

DC Water is advising customers not to drink or cook with their water without boiling it first if they live in the affected area, which includes the neighborhoods of Edgewood, Brookland, Fort Lincoln, Woodridge, Queens Chapel, Michigan Park and North Michigan Park.

The impact area is generally east of North Capitol Street, west of Eastern Avenue, south of New Hampshire Avenue and north of New York Avenue.

Customers outside this area can continue normal water use.

DC Water advised residents to search their address on the interactive map or call the 24-hour command center at 202-612-3400 to determine if they are in the impact area of the advisory.

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.

Residents should not use home filtering devices in place of boiled or bottled water, DC Water said.

On Wednesday afternoon, crews closed valves in the area of 13th Street and Spring Road NW in an effort to isolate a leak on a 36-inch water transmission line to make repairs. Subsequently, DC Water received a number of calls from customers in Northeast D.C. who were experiencing low or no water pressure.

System pressure was restored within the hour and service has been fully restored.

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.

Bacteria and other disease-causing contamination such as viruses and parasites can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches and other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, the elderly and people with severely compromised immune systems.