Residents of north-west Washington DC have been advised to use water after boiling it for at least a minute. | Representational Image
A boil water advisory is in place in parts of Washington DC, especially in the area of the north-west. The residents impacted by it have been advised to boil the water for at least one minute at a high temperature before using it for cooking or other purposes. The advisory that comes into play from today is going to extend till Friday this week, informed the authorities.
The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) while issuing a Boil Water Advisory today said it would remain active unless the water becomes safe for customers to drink. Notably, continuous testing is going to be conducted by the authorities to keep an eye on the situation. The most affected areas due to an ongoing issue include Upper Chevy Chase, Ft. Reno, American University, Spring Valley, Friendship Heights, Westover Place, Wakefield, North Cleveland Park, Palisades, Wesley Heights, Foxhall Crescent, Foxhall Village, Hawthorne, Barnaby Woods, and Chevy Chase.
The region’s water pressure was affected after a 20-inch water main burst. However, there were no reports of water contamination in northwest DC till the time this report was published. The impact is affecting 4,800 customers, the DC Water said its detailed statement adding that “this is a precautionary notice to customers in the impacted area to boil water that may be ingested due to water of unknown quality in this localized area of the system. Customer should not drink the water without boiling it first.”
Authorities in DC trying to fix the issue confirmed that the advisory is going to remain active until follow-up testing finds the water is safe to drink. “DC Water advises customers to search their address on the interactive map at dcwater.com or call the 24-Hour Command Center at (202) 612-3400 to determine if they are in the impact area of this advisory,” the advisory read further concluding that who live outside the mapped areas can continue normal water use.
