The Boil Water Advisory is still in effect for Riggs Park and a smaller portion of Northeast DC. Affected residents may pick up free water at North Michigan Park Recreation Center (1333 Emerson Street NE) today, August 7, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

The rough boundaries of the area still under the advisory are:

• East of North Capitol Street
• West of Eastern Avenue
• South of New Hampshire Avenue
• North of Taylor Street

Customers can view the interactive map or call the 24-Hour Command Center at (202) 612-3400 to verify if their residence falls within the area still affected.

From DC Water

*UPDATE* Boil Water Advisory lifted for most customers – continues for roughly 4,200 customers in NE

August 7, 2021

Este aviso y más información están también disponibles en www.dcwater.com, y preguntas frecuentes bilingües se encuentran en www.dcwater.com/boilwaterFAQ. 

Following two consecutive days of clear samples for most of the Advisory area, DC Water is lifting the Boil Water Advisory for a portion of the impacted area. DC Water has determined boundaries for a smaller impacted area which will remain under a Boil Water Advisory until two consecutive days of clear samples are obtained. Customers can view the interactive map or call the 24-Hour Command Center at (202) 612-3400 to verify if their residence falls within the area still affected. Customers located in the impacted area should continue boiling water for drinking and cooking until further notice. 

Customers who are not located in this updated Advisory area can use tap water after running cold-water taps for 10 minutes before returning to normal water usage. Running the cold-water tap will replace water sitting in pipes during the advisory with fresh water from the water main.

The impact area which remains under an Advisory includes portions of neighborhoods in Queens Chapel, Michigan Park, North Michigan Park, Chillum Station and Terra Cotta.
It is anticipated sample results for the remaining impact area will be analyzed by Sunday morning, August 8.

Customers still affected by the boil water advisory should continue to follow these precautions:

•    Discard any beverages and ice made before and during this advisory.
•    Run cold water until clear (if discolored) prior to boiling.
•    Run cold water for 2 minutes if known sources of lead are present prior to boiling. 
•    Bring water to a rolling boil for 1 minute and let it cool. 
•    Store cooled water in a clean, covered container.

Cooled, boiled water or bottled water should be used for:

•    Drinking
•    Brushing teeth
•    Preparing and cooking food
•    Washing fruits and vegetables
•    Preparing infant formula
•    Making ice 
•    Giving water to pets

*Do not use home filtering devices in place of boiled or bottled water.

Customers who are still impacted by the Boil Water Advisory may receive water at North Michigan Park Recreation Center, 1333 Emerson St., NE, Washington, DC, from the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. today.

Today, two consecutive days of samples taken throughout the Boil Water Advisory impact area confirmed there was no impact to water quality resulting from the pressure loss event on August 4th in most of the impacted area. However, an advisory remains in place for an isolated area where one sample was positive for Total Coliform on August 6. DC Water has taken an additional sample from the location, following localized flushing of the distribution system, and expects to have results by Sunday morning August 8. 

DC Water has consulted closely with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the Advisory and action plan. DC Water will continue flushing water from the system, to bring fresh water into the area. The Authority will continue testing water samples to assess tap water safety. The safety and health of our customers are our top priorities, and the boil water advisory will remain in effect until we confirm that the tap water is safe.

DC Water issued the Boil Water Advisory after a temporary loss of pressure in a portion of the distribution system in the late afternoon of August 4, 2021.  On Thursday, August 5, DC Water collected water samples at 10 locations in the impacted area. Those samples were tested overnight, and DC Water analyzed the results the morning of August 6. The nine samples that were negative for coliform bacteria yesterday were also negative today. The one sampling location that tested positive yesterday for coliform bacteria today tested negative. A second consecutive negative test is required before the advisory is lifted in the remaining impacted area. Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially harmful, bacteria may be present.

The impacted area which remains under an advisory includes the neighborhoods of Queens Chapel, Fort Totten, Michigan Park, North Michigan Park and Riggs Park. The impacted area is generally:

•    East of North Capitol Street
•    West of Eastern Avenue
•    South of New Hampshire Avenue
•    North of Taylor Street

Due to the loss of pressure in the system, it may have been possible for bacteria or other disease-causing organisms to enter the water through cracks, breaks or joints in the distribution system. 

Bacteria and other disease-causing contamination such as viruses and parasites can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, some of the elderly and people with severely compromised immune systems.

The symptoms above are not only caused by microbes in drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. People at increased risk should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.

Please share this information with all other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail. 

Customers with water quality questions should contact the Department of Water Quality at (202) 612-3440 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). All other questions should be directed to DC Water Customer Service at (202) 354-3600 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), the 24-Hour Command Center at 202-612-3400 or the Office of Marketing and Communications at (202) 787-2200 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.).

Information is also available at www.dcwater.com and FAQs are provided at www.dcwater.com/boilwaterFAQ.

From DC Water

DRINKING WATER ADVISORY

DC Water Issues Boil Water Advisory for Customers in Some Neighborhoods of Northeast DC

August 5, 2021

The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) is issuing a Boil Water Advisory today for some customers after a temporary loss of pressure in the late afternoon of August 4, 2021. DC Water advises customers to not drink or cook with their water without boiling it first if they are in the impact area which includes the neighborhoods of Edgewood, Brookland, Fort Lincoln, Woodridge, Queens Chapel, Michigan Park and North Michigan Park. The impacted area is generally:

• East of North Capitol Street
• West of Eastern Avenue
• South of New Hampshire Avenue
• North of New York Avenue

DC Water advises customers to search their address on the interactive map or call the 24-Hour Command Center at (202) 612-3400 to determine if they are in the impact area of this advisory. Customers in the impacted area should boil water used for drinking and cooking. Customers outside this area can continue normal water use. 

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. This advisory will remain in place until follow-up testing confirms the water is safe to drink.

Customers in the impacted area should:
•    Discard any beverages and ice made before and during this advisory.
•    Run cold water until clear (if discolored) prior to boiling.
•    Run cold water for 2 minutes if known sources of lead are present prior to boiling. 
•    Bring water to a rolling boil for 1 minute and let it cool. 
•    Store cooled water in a clean, covered container. 

Cooled, boiled water or bottled water should be used for:

•    Drinking
•    Brushing teeth
•    Preparing and cooking food
•    Washing fruits and vegetables
•    Preparing infant formula
•    Making ice 
•    Giving water to pets

*Do not use home filtering devices in place of boiled or bottled water.

In the late afternoon of Wednesday, August 4, 2021, crews closed valves in the area of 13th Street and Spring Road, NW in an effort to isolate a leak on a 36” water transmission line to make repairs. Subsequently, DC Water received a number of calls from customers in Northeast DC who were experiencing low or no water pressure. 

System pressure was restored within the hour and service has been fully restored.  

Due to the loss of pressure in the system, it may have been for bacteria or other disease-causing organisms to enter the water through cracks, breaks or joints in the distribution system.  

Bacteria and other disease-causing contamination such as viruses and parasites can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, some of the elderly and people with severely compromised immune systems.

The symptoms above are not only caused by microbes in drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. People at increased risk should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.

We have no information that the water was contaminated by this incident, but issue this advisory as a precaution while we test the water.  DC Water is currently collecting samples in the impacted area. The advisory will be lifted when tests on two consecutive days show no bacteria are present and all customers can continue normal water use, which we anticipate will be on Saturday, August 7. 

Please share this information with all other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.  

Customers with water quality questions should contact the Department of Water Quality at (202) 612-3440 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). All other questions should be directed to DC Water Customer Service at (202) 354-3600 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), the 24-Hour Command Center at 202-612-3400 or the Office of Marketing and Communications at (202) 787-2200 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). 

Information is also available at www.dcwater.com and Bilingual FAQs are provided at www.dcwater.com/boilwaterFAQ.  

Este aviso y más información están también disponibles en www.dcwater.com, y preguntas frecuentes bilingües se encuentran en www.dcwater.com/boilwaterFAQ. 

From the Friends of Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center

Please join us for our first Riggs Park Forum on Opioids in our Community this Saturday, July 31.

The Friends of Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center (FORLR) in collaboration with the Wards 3 & 4 DC Prevention Center and DC Department of Behavioral Health are hosting a series of educational sessions on opioid misuse.

The first session is a forum in which local experts, including DC government agencies, will provide information and address community input and questions. Guests include Wards 3 & 4 DC Prevention Center speakers and others.

The itinerary follows:

Friends of Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center Community Forum on Opioids
Where:  Culture Coffee Too, 300 Riggs Road, NE
When:  Saturday, July 31, 2021 Time: 1:00 pm– 3:00 pm

The following public service announcement shows the addictive power of opioids.
To see it, please click here: Know the truth | Amy’s Story | Opioids (viewer discretion advised)