Tests confirm tap water safety

All customers in the previous impact area of the boil water advisory can use tap water for all purposes after following the guidance provided below. Customers not affected by the boil water advisory can continue normal water use.

**Customers who didn’t use any water during the advisory should run cold water taps for 10 minutes prior to use.

DC Water issued the boil water advisory as a conservative measure to protect public health, and we sincerely appreciate our customers’ patience while we took necessary precautions to deliver water to our customers.

DC Water lifted the boil water advisory after tests confirmed that drinking water meets all water quality safety standards. Samples were tested from multiple sites in the impact area and tests have verified that there is no risk to drinking water safety due to loss of water pressure following the major water main break in Arlington, VA.

Early Friday morning, November 8, 2019, a water main break in Arlington, Virginia caused a loss of pressure in the distribution system in upper Northwest DC, west of Rock Creek Park. Both the District and Arlington County, Virginia receive water from the Dalecarlia Water Treatment Plant. Arlington responded to the break and pressure was restored. The lack of pressure made it possible for bacteria or other disease-causing organisms to enter the water through cracks, breaks or joints in the distribution system.

We have no information that the water was contaminated by this incident, but issued this advisory as a precaution while we conducted two rounds of water testing. Test results indicated no bacterial threat from samples taken on both Friday, November 8, and Saturday, November 9.

If you are concerned about your health or the health of your family, please consult your health care provider. Please share this information with everyone who drinks this water, especially those who may not receive this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

Questions regarding the water main break can be directed to Arlington Water at (703) 228-6555. Customers with water quality questions should contact the Department of Water Quality at (202) 612-3440 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). All other questions should be directed to DC Water Customer Service at (202) 354-3600 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), the 24-Hour Command Center at 202-612-3400 or the Office of Marketing and Communications at (202) 787-2200 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.).

Information is also available at www.dcwater.com and Bilingual FAQs are provided at www.dcwater.com/boilwaterFAQ.

Este aviso y más información están también disponibles en www.dcwater.com, y preguntas frecuentes bilingües se encuentran en www.dcwater.com/boilwaterFAQ.