On Friday morning, the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) issued a precautionary boil water advisory for large areas of Washington, D.C., after a problem at the Bryant Street pump caused a drop in water pressure.
DC Water announced the pump issue on Twitter Thursday night, and the boil water advisory came about five hours later.
Among the areas affected by the advisory are: Residents who are affected by the alert are instructed to run the tap until the water turns clear if it initially comes out of the tap discolored.
Once water is clear, residents should bring water to a rolling boil for three minutes and let it cool before storing cool water in a clean container with a lid.
The cooled, boiled water should be used for drinking, brushing teeth, preparing and cooking food, making ice, preparing infant formula and giving water to pets.
Hours after the alert was posted, DC Water’s website faced loading difficulty, so the organization posted pictures of the alert and map of affected areas on Twitter.
An open valve was the root of the problem and caused a loss of pressure in portions of the distribution system, which makes it possible for contaminants to get into the water that’s delivered through the system.
The valve problem was corrected, but the boil water alert will remain in place until DC Water completes its testing of water samples to ensure it’s safe, according to the advisory.