The newly constructed DC Water Headquarters across the Anacostia River and the dome of the U.S. Capitol 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 boil water advisory has been issued for all of Washington, D.C., and parts of Arlington, Virginia, officials said Wednesday night, as the capital braced for a large influx of visitors coming to enjoy its annual Fourth of July festivities.
The advisory was issued due to a decline in the water supply over concerns about “unknown quality,” the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority said Wednesday. Local authorities said the boil advisory also applies to the Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetery and Reagan National Airport and will remain in effect until the water is deemed safe to drink.
DC Water said water in the area should be brought to a boil for at least one minute and then cooled for activities such as brushing teeth, making baby food, preparing and cooking food, making ice, washing dishes by hand and providing water to pets.
“It’s terrible timing because it’s the Fourth of July. And obviously people are planning on celebrating,” said John Lisle, DC Water’s vice president of marketing and communications.
The Army Corps of Engineers told DC Water that it was reducing operations at the Dalecarlia Water Treatment Plant because algae blooms were causing increased turbidity, which is used to measure the cloudiness of water. Engineers switched to another water treatment plant but began pumping some water out of Dalecarlia again to ensure there was enough for firefighting.
“Turbidity has no health implications,” DC Water said. “However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity can indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms.”
It is not known whether the water is contaminated, but DC Water warns of contamination.
The advisory also applies to the Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetery and Reagan National Airport.
Further precautions must be taken:
- Do not use home water filtration systems in place of boiled water
- Throw away any drinks or ice cream made after 9pm on Wednesday
- Use cold water to boil the water and let the water run for at least 2 minutes if there is lead in the water.
- Storing boiled and cooled water in a clean and covered container
The advice remains in effect until tests have shown that the water is drinkable.
“It depends on the conditions on the river, and that depends on how much rain we get,” Lisle said. “And then the ability of the aqueduct to manage this and get back to a normal supply of drinking water that they’re providing to us. And I think it’s too early to say at this point how long that’s going to take.”
Separately, Arlington County officials said customers may notice that their water appears cloudy or hazy. Arlington County residents and visitors should check the county’s website for updates, officials said.