The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) has issued a Boil Water Advisory for all customers in the District of Columbia, including the Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetery, and Reagan National Airport. This advisory comes in response to a drop in water supply from the Washington Aqueduct, leading to concerns over the water’s “unknown quality.” As a precaution, customers are advised to boil any water intended for ingestion until follow-up testing confirms its safety.
Customers should take the following steps:
– Discard any beverages and ice made after 9 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3, 2024.
– Run cold water prior to boiling.
– Run cold water for 2 minutes if known sources of lead are present before 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
– Washing dishes by hand
– Giving water to pets
Do not use home filtering devices in place of boiled or bottled water.
On Wednesday, July 3, 2024, DC Water was informed by the Army Corps of Engineers Washington Aqueduct that due to turbidity, the Dalecarlia Water Treatment Plant had reduced production. Consequently, all water treatment operations were shifted to the McMillan Treatment Plant. To ensure there was enough water for firefighting activities, the Aqueduct resumed pumping water from the Dalecarlia Treatment Plant on Wednesday evening. This led to the issuance of the boil water advisory due to potential increased turbidity.
Turbidity, a measure of water cloudiness, is used to indicate water quality and filtration effectiveness. While turbidity itself has no health effects, it can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. It may indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause symptoms like nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and headaches. These symptoms pose a greater health risk for infants, young children, the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems.
If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you should seek medical advice. People at increased risk should consult their healthcare providers about drinking water.
DC Water has no information that the water was contaminated by this incident but issued the advisory as a precaution while testing the water. Updates will be provided when the water supply returns to normal production and meets water quality standards.
Please share this information with others who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly, such as people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses. You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.
Customers with questions can contact DC Water Customer Service at (202) 354-3600 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or the 24-Hour Command Center at 202-612-3400. Additional information is available at www.dcwater.com, and bilingual FAQs are provided at www.dcwater.com/boilwaterFAQ.
The advisory was officially lifted early Thursday morning, much to the relief of residents and visitors preparing for the Fourth of July celebrations. Officials confirmed that the drinking water provided by the Washington Aqueduct never deviated from U.S. EPA water quality standards. John Lisle, DC Water’s vice president of marketing and communications, acknowledged the unfortunate timing of the advisory but emphasized the necessity of the precaution.
The Army Corps of Engineers had reduced operations at the Dalecarlia Water Treatment Plant due to algae blooms causing increased turbidity. Engineers switched to another water plant but resumed pumping from Dalecarlia to ensure sufficient water for firefighting. Although turbidity has no health effects, it can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth, potentially indicating the presence of disease-causing organisms.
In lifting the advisory, DC Water expressed appreciation for customers’ patience during the precautionary measures. The last time the entire district was placed under a boil water advisory was on the Fourth of July in 1996, which lasted an entire week.
The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) clarified that the Boil Water Advisory does not impact WSSC Water customers in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. Their water is safe to consume and does not need to be boiled.
For those who may have already consumed the water, it is important to note that some people are more vulnerable to contaminants, including individuals with weakened immune systems, the elderly, and infants. If you experience gastrointestinal illness symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, cramps, fever, rash, or paralysis, you should consult your healthcare provider.
Source: DC Water, WSSC, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
