Boil Water Advisory issued for multiple upper Northwest DC neighborhoods

DC Water has issued a Boil Water Advisory for nearly 5,000 customers in Northwest D.C. after a loss of water pressure.

People in the affected areas should not drink the water or use it for cooking without boiling it first, DC Water officials said Friday afternoon. DC Water will collect samples and will lift the advisory once tests show no bacteria on two consecutive days, which they expect will be Sunday at the earliest.

“This advisory will remain in place until follow-up testing confirms the water is safe to drink,” DC Water said.

Affected locations include portions of:

• AU Park
• Cathedral Heights
• Chevy Chase DC
• Cleveland Park
• Friendship Heights
• Glover Park
• Spring Valley
• Tenleytown
• Van Ness
• Wesley Heights
• Woodley Park

If you live or work in one of those neighborhoods, you can search your address on DC Water’s interactive map or call the 24-Hour Command Center at (202) 612-3400 to see if you’re affected.

People in the affected areas should:

• discard any drinks or ice made after noon Friday
• 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

Boiled, cooled water or bottled water should be used for drinking, brushing teeth, preparing and cooking food or drinks, washing fruits and vegetables, preparing infant formula and making ice. Pets should also be given boiled, cooled water. Don’t use home filtering devices in place of boiled or bottled water, DC Water officials said.

The advisory was issued out of an abundance of caution after DC Water received several calls about noon from customers in Northwest DC reporting low water pressure. DC Water checked and confirmed low or no pressure at multiple locations.

From brushing your teeth to doing the dishes, here’s what you need to know about staying safe during a boil water advisory.

At the same time, the Fort Reno pumping station had fluctuating power issues, with a full loss of power about 12:30 p.m. Power was restored about an hour later.

Crews are still investigating to determine the cause.

The loss of pressure in the distribution system could cause fecal contamination or other disease-causing organisms to enter the distribution system, DC Water warned. These potential contaminants can cause diarrhea, nausea, headaches or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, seniors and people with severely compromised immune systems.

“We have no information that the water was contaminated by this incident but issue this advisory as a precaution while we test the water,” the utility said.