D.C. water officials have issued a boil water advisory for Northwest areas of the city following a break in a 20-foot water main Wednesday.
The affected neighborhoods include Upper Chevy Chase, Fort Reno, American University, Spring Valley, Friendship Heights, Westover Place, Wakefield, North Cleveland Park, Palisades, Wesley Heights, Foxhall Cresent, Foxhall Village, Hawthorne, Barnaby Woods, and Chevy Chase. The impact is affecting 4,800 customers, according to the advisory.
The DC Water advisory said that customers should not drink water or cook without boiling it. The advisory will remain in effect until follow-up testing confirms the water is safe to drink.
Tips for boiled water usage include:
- Discard beverages and ice made after 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.
- Run cold water until clear (if discolored) before boiling.
- Run cold water for two minutes if known sources of lead are present before boiling.
- If possible, filter the water using an NSF/ANSI Standard 53 lead-certified and 42 for particle reduction filter, and then boil it.
- Bring water to a boiling point for one minute and let it cool.
- Store cooled water in a clean, covered container.
The advisory recommends cooled, boiled or bottled water to be used for drinking, brushing teeth, preparing and cooking food, washing food and vegetables, preparing infant formula, making ice and giving water to pets. Also, home filtering devices should not be used in place of bottled or boiling water.
Customers with water quality questions should contact the Department of Water Quality at 202-612-3440 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 pm). Other questions should be directed to DC Water Customer Service at 202-354-3600 and the 24-hour Command Center at 202-612-3400.
Information is also available at www.dcwater.com.