DC Water alerted residents in parts of Northwest and Northeast D.C. late Friday afternoon that a loss of pressure had caused potential water contamination.
The agency advised residents across parts of Wards 3 and 4 to adhere to the boil water advisory for 48 hours.
Residents can find out if their home is in the affected area by searching for their address on the interactive map at dcwater.com or calling the 24-Hour Command Center at 202-612-3400. DC Water advises residents in affected neighborhoods to bring their water to a rolling boil for one minute and let it cool before using it for drinking, brushing teeth, preparing and cooking food, washing fruits and vegetables, preparing infant formula, making ice, or giving water to pets until Sunday, Jan. 21.
As confirmed by DC Water, the following neighborhoods have been identified to have hazardous water conditions: Colonial Village, Shepherd Park, North Portal Estates, Water Reed, Takoma, Brightwood, Manor Park, Lamond Riggs, Queens Chapel, Fort Totten, Pleasant Hill, Brightwood Park, Crestwood, Petworth, Rock Creek Park, Hawthorne, Barnaby Woods, Chevy Chase, North Cleveland Park, Forest Hills, Van Ness, Cleveland Park, Woodley Park, Massachusetts Avenue Heights, and Woodland-Normanstone.
Alerts from Northwest D.C. residents of little to no water coming into their homes sparked the boil water advisory. The loss of pressure has the potential to contaminate filtered water, allowing diseases and various organisms to infect it. The side effects of drinking contaminated water may range from diarrhea, nausea, and headaches to severe immune diseases. Demographics such as children under age 5 and seniors are highly susceptible.
There have not yet been updates regarding the cause of this low pressure. However, DC Water’s Blueprint 2.0 strategic plan — approved in July 2021 — intended to launch a five-year plan to improve the overall quality of the drinking water.
“The plan is the successor to The Blueprint, launched in 2018, which has pushed us to operate as a high-performing utility, improve employee engagement and the customer experience, better leverage technology, ensure a safe workplace, and enhance our readiness and resilience,” as stated in The Blueprint 2.0.
Values such as equity, health, safety, wellness, reliability, resilience and sustainability are listed as DC Water’s top priorities.
However, this major contamination has residents insecure about the overall quality of water in their businesses and homes across the District.
Fort Totten resident and mother Hilary Denise was particularly concerned about the boil water advisory as it relates to her children.
“It caught me off guard. I don’t drink D.C. tap water anyway, but I am concerned, as a mother of two, bathing my children,” the 32-year-old mother told The Informer.
Affected areas are advised to avoid using home filtering devices, discard any beverages and ice made before and during this advisory, run cold water until clear (if discolored) before boiling, run cold water for two minutes if known lead sources are present before boiling, and store boiled and cooled water in a clean, covered container.
As DC Water continues to investigate the issue, authorities are prioritizing the restoration of the water system.
