The newly built DC Water Headquarters across the Anacostia River and the Dome of the U.S. Capitol Building are visible from the Department of Homeland Security’s St. Elizabeths Campus in Washington, Thursday, June 15, 2023.
Andrew Harnik/AP
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Andrew Harnik/AP
A water boil advisory has been issued for all of Washington D.C. and parts of Arlington., Va., officials said late Wednesday, as the nation’s capitol prepared to host a massive influx of visitors to enjoy the annual Fourth of July celebrations.
The advisory was issued because of a decrease in water supply due to concerns over its “unknown quality,” the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authorityannounced Wednesday. Local authorities said the water boil advisory also covers the Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetery and Reagan National Airport and will be in effect until water is deemed safe to drink.
The water in the area should be brought to a rolling boil for at least one minute – and then cooled – for activities including brushing teeth, making infant formula, prepping and cooking food, making ice, hand-washing dishes and giving water to pets, DC Water said.
“It’s terrible timing since it’s the 4th of July. And obviously folks plan to be celebrating,” said John Lisle, DC Water’s vice president of marketing and communications.
The Army Corps of Engineers told DC Water it was reducing operations at the Dalecarlia Water Treatment Plant because algae blooms were causing increased turbidity, which is used to measure cloudiness in the water. Engineers switched to another water plant, but again began pumping some water from Dalecarlia to have enough for firefighting.
“Turbidity has no health effects,” DC Water said. “However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms.”
It is unknown whether the water has been contaminated, but DC Water is issuing an advisory to be safe, it said.
The advisory also extends to the Pentagon, the Arlington National Cemetery and the Reagan National Airport.
Additional precautions to be taken include:
- Not using at-home water filtration systems in place of boiled water
- Throwing out drinks or ice made after 9 p.m. Wednesday
- Using cold water to boil, and running cold water for at least 2 minutes if lead is known to be in the water.
- Storing water that has been boiled and cooled in a clean and covered container
The advisory will be lifted will be in place until testing shows the water is drinkable.
“It depends on the conditions on the river, and that depends a lot on how much rainfall we get,” Lisle said. “And then the aqueduct’s ability to manage this issue and get back to a normal supply of drinking water that they provide for us. And I think at this point, it is too early to say how long it’s going to be.”
Separately, Arlington County officials said customers may notice their water appears cloudy or hazy. Residents and visitors to Arlington County should check the county website for updates, officials said.
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