Consumer Services & Outreach
What Is a Water Emergency?
A water emergency is any event that disrupts the normal supply of clean water to your home. Water emergencies can be caused by:
- Home emergencies, such as:
- Leaky pipes
- Frozen pipes
- Leaky appliances
- Water system emergencies, such as:
- Chemical spills
- Broken water mains
- Power outages
- Failure of water storage tanks or other equipment
- Treatment plant breakdowns
- Water contamination
- Natural disasters, such as:
- Storms
- Floods
- Tornadoes
- Forest or brush fires
- Droughts
- Earthquakes
- High winds
If you wish to report a water emergency or get immediate information about an emergency in your area, call DC Water at 202-612-3400.
Home Water Emergencies
For information about how to prevent home water emergencies, please see the article Preventing Leaks and Floods at Home.
A Water Emergency Can Be Serious
The quality and the quantity of your drinking water may be affected by a water emergency. For example:
Less water may be available due to drought, overuse, etc.
The water supply may be polluted with sediment, sewage, toxic substances, etc.
Storage tanks may be contaminated, damaged or destroyed.
Power lines may be downed, making electric pumps unusable.
Water pipes may freeze or be broken, shutting off the water flow.
What to Do
The best way to deal with a water emergency is to be prepared and informed. For more information about water emergencies, see Preparing for a Water Emergency and Responding to a Water Emergency.
Related Emergencies
Sometimes a water emergency is accompanied by other kinds of emergencies. For information on how to prepare for a general emergency and what to do in an emergency, visit your local government's official emergency information page:
You can also find general information about emergency preparedness on the following federal government Web sites:
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