A chunk of upper Northwest D.C. spent Friday afternoon learning more about their kitchen pots than they probably wanted, after a temporary power loss at the Fort Reno pumping station triggered a precautionary boil-water advisory for roughly 5,000 customers in some of the city’s highest neighborhoods.
In a press release, DC Water called the move “a precautionary notice to customers in the impacted neighborhoods to boil water prior to ingesting.” The utility reported that the Fort Reno Pumping Station had “fluctuating power issues, with a full loss of power impacting pumping capabilities around 12:30 p.m.,” and said power was restored at about 1:26 p.m. Crews stayed at the station to keep an eye on pressure levels and investigate what went wrong.
Nearly 5,000 DC Water customers in Chevy Chase D.C., Friendship Heights, Tenleytown, American University Park, Spring Valley and nearby pockets landed inside the advisory area, according to WTOP. The affected zone is a localized slice of the system, and people living outside it can keep using tap water as usual.
How To Protect Your Household
Residents inside the advisory zone were urged to toss any drinks and ice made after 12 p.m. Friday, just to be safe. If your tap water looks discolored, officials say to run the cold water until it clears before you boil it. If you know your home has lead plumbing or fixtures, they recommend running cold water for two minutes before boiling.
DC Water advises bringing tap water to a rolling boil for one full minute, turning off the heat, letting it cool, then storing the cooled water in a clean, covered container. That boiled-and-cooled water is what should be used for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, and making ice until the advisory is lifted.
Why This Happened And What Comes Next
When water pressure drops in a distribution system, there is a risk that outside water or contaminants can seep into pipes. That is why public health guidelines call for precautionary boil notices whenever pressure dips below certain thresholds. The EPA’s public-notification template highlights that risk and backs up the practice of issuing boil-water advisories after pressure losses.
D.C. Council documents show that DC Water has electrical work and valve upgrades for Fort Reno on its capital plan, in part to cut down on future outages and the headaches that come with them.
Where To Check And What To Watch For Next
To see if your address is inside the advisory zone, customers can use DC Water’s interactive map or call the utility’s 24-hour command center at 202-612-3400, as reported by WTOP. The advisory will stay in place until follow-up testing confirms the water is safe to drink on two consecutive days. Officials will lift the notice and give an all-clear only after required sampling returns negative results for contamination on back-to-back days.
