A boil water advisory was issued for thousands of customers in Northeast D.C. after reports of low water pressure on Tuesday, according to DC Water.
River Terrace Education Campus, Houston Elementary, Thomas Elementary, and Ron Brown High School have been closed due to the water outage.
DC Water said they received several phone calls from customers on Tuesday morning about low or no water pressure.
Due to the loss of pressure in the distribution system, water from outside of the pipes could have been let into the system. This could lead to contaminants entering the system.
Customers in the impacted area should boil water used for drinking and cooking at this time.
The impacted neighborhoods include River Terrace, Mayfair, Eastland Gardens, Kenilworth, Deanwood, Central Northeast, and Anacostia Park.
Customers can search their address on an interactive map or call the 24-Hour Command Center at (202) 612-3400 to see if they’re impacted by the advisory.
While DC Water has no information on whether the water was contaminated by this incident, the company released the advisory as a precaution so they can test the water.
DC Water
DC Water is asking customers to do the following if affected:
- Discard any beverages and ice made after midnight on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.
- Run cold water until clear (if discolored) prior to boiling.
- Run cold water for two minutes if known sources of lead are present prior to boiling.
- Bring water to a rolling boil for one minute and let it cool.
- Store cooled water in a clean, covered container
Customers can use cooled, boiled water or bottled water for the following:
- Drinking
- Brushing teeth
- Preparing and cooking food
- Washing fruits and vegetables
- Preparing infant formula
- Making ice
- Washing dishes by hand
- Giving water to service animals and pets
DC Water says when water service is restored, customers should not drink the water without boiling it first.
The water advisory is anticipated to be lifted after two days of testing. If the tests show that there are no bacteria in the water, all customers can continue normal water use on Dec. 5 at the earliest.