Responding To Water Emergencies

Consumer Services & Outreach

There are different types of water emergencies that require you to take steps to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your property. Below, you'll find instructions to help you deal with some emergency situations.

To report a water emergency, such as a water main break or a sewer backup, contact DC Water at 202-612-3400. Or you can report a problem with our online system.

For local information about a water emergency, or an emergency that may affect your water supply, visit the official emergency information page on your local government's Web site:

Put Your Emergency Plan into Action

We suggest that you have an emergency plan to protect you in case of a water emergency. (See Preparing for an Emergency.)

If you have an emergency plan, put it into action as soon as you are aware of a water emergency. Your plan should help you maintain a clean supply of drinking water and prevent damage to your home during the emergency.

If you do not have a plan, follow the instructions below in an emergency.

Get Information and Advice from DC Water

Contact DC Water at 202-612-3400 for information about the emergency and what to do.

Protect Yourself Against Contaminated Drinking Water

Pay attention to your local officials and media outlets to know when it is safe to drink tap water.

Avoid direct contact with water bodies until local officials say that it is safe. If wastewater treatment plants have not maintained continuous operation, there may have been untreated wastewater discharged to local waterways.

Make Water Safe

Water often can be made safe to drink by boiling, adding disinfectants, or filtering.

IMPORTANT: Water contaminated with fuel or toxic chemicals will not be made safe by boiling or disinfection. Use a different source of water if you know or suspect that water might be contaminated with fuel or toxic chemicals.

Boiling

If you don't have safe bottled water, you should boil water to make it safe. Boiling is the surest method to make water safer to drink by killing disease-causing organisms, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites.

You can improve the flat taste of boiled water by pouring it from one container to another and then allowing it to stand for a few hours, OR by adding a pinch of salt for each quart or liter of boiled water.

If the water is cloudy,

Filter it through a clean cloth, paper towel, or coffee filter OR allow it to settle.
Draw off the clear water.
Bring the clear water to a rolling boil for one minute (at elevations above 6,500 feet, boil for three minutes).
Let the boiled water cool.
Store the boiled water in clean sanitized containers with tight covers.

If the water is clear,

Bring the clear water to a rolling boil for one minute (at elevations above 6,500 feet, boil for three minutes).
Let the boiled water cool.
Store the boiled water in clean sanitized containers with tight covers.

Disinfectants

If you don't have safe bottled water and if boiling is not possible, you often can make water safer to drink by using a disinfectant such as unscented household chlorine bleach or iodine. These can kill most harmful organisms, such as viruses and bacteria, but are not as effective in controlling more resistant organisms such as the parasites Cryptosporidium and Giardia.

To disinfect water,

Filter it through a clean cloth, paper towel, or coffee filter OR allow it to settle.
Draw off the clear water.
To use bleach, add 1/8 teaspoon (or 8 drops; about 0.625 milliliters) of unscented liquid household chlorine (5-6%) bleach for each gallon of clear water (or 2 drops of bleach for each liter or each quart of water).

Stir the mixture well.
Let it stand for 30 minutes or longer before you use it.
Store the disinfected water in clean sanitized containers with tight covers.

To use iodine, follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Chlorine dioxide tablets are another disinfectant that now is available in some outdoor stores. This disinfectant has proven to be effective against pathogens, including Cryptosporidium, if the manufacturer's instructions are followed.

Filters

Many portable water filters can remove disease-causing parasites such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia from drinking water. If you are choosing a portable water filter, try to pick one that has a filter pore size small enough to remove both bacteria and parasites. Most portable water filters do not remove viruses.

Carefully read and follow the manufacturer's instructions for the water filter you intent to use. After filtering, add a disinfectant such as iodine, chlorine, or chlorine dioxide to the filtered water to kill any viruses and remaining bacteria. For more information about water filters, see the Water Treatment Resources section.

Source: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/foodwater/facts.asp

If your water has been declared unsafe to drink, avoid drinking from the tap until DC Water announces that the water is safe again.

Get Drinking Water and Protect Pipes If You Have a Well

If your electricity goes off because of an emergency and you rely on an electric pump to get water from a well:

Follow the directions above to keep your pipes from freezing, if the weather is extremely cold.
If you need to drain the pump system, save water from the pipes and store it in clean, closed containers. Do not drink water from the heating system. Then, use stored water until the power comes back on.

Prepare Your House If You Are Told to Evacuate

Shut off water, gas, and electricity. Contact your landlord, superintendent, local power and gas company, and DC Water (202-612-3400) if you need instructions.
Drain all pipes and water storage tanks. Flush toilets and drain them.
Take bottled water with you. Each person will need a gallon of water each day.
Have a plan to evacuate any pets safely, and make sure they have enough water and food.

Be Safe at Home after a Natural Disaster

After a storm or flood, follow these instructions:

Don't drink from the tap until DC Water announces that it is safe to do so.
Flush out house water lines to make sure the water is safe and clean. Contact DC Water at 202-612-3400 for instructions.
Check utility lines and report any damage to your local power company.
Avoid using any food or water that has come in contact with untreated water (such as flood water).
Check sewage lines to see that they're intact before flushing toilets. Contact DC Water at 202-612-3400 for instructions on how to do this.

Scheduled Water Outages

Sometimes, DC Water must do repair work on a water main, or turn off the water flow for another reason. If your water will be turned off for planned repairs or construction, you will be:

Notified about the day and hours that water will not be available
Asked to turn off your water heater during those hours. (Please take time to learn how to turn off your water heater, in case you are asked to do so.)

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District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority

Consumer Services & Outreach