01/20/2024
Dear Resident, Resident Representative, Family, Healthcare Personnel (HCP), and Visitors:
We are writing to inform you that a Boil Water advisory has been issued for a large portion of the Washington DC, NW area. This advisory is in response to multiple instances where there were low pressures (below 20 PSI) identified throughout the affected area.
Our team has taken the necessary steps to ensure that our community remains safe. We are monitoring updates through the DC Water website as well as with our DC Health officials.
During this advisory, If you are in the affected area, it is essential to follow the guidelines below to protect your health and safety:
1. Boil all water used for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth, or washing dishes. Bring the water to a rolling boil for at least one minute, then allow it to cool before use.
2. Use bottled water as an alternative, if available.
3. Avoid using tap water for any activities that may lead to ingestion, such as swallowing while showering or bathing infants.
4. Discard any ice cubes or beverages made with tap water prior to the advisory.
5. Continue to boil water or use bottled water until the advisory is lifted. We will inform you as soon as the water supply is safe for consumption.
We understand that this advisory may cause inconvenience, but your health and safety are our utmost priority. DC Water is working diligently to resolve the issue and restore the water supply to its normal state. We apologize for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your cooperation during this time.
For the latest updates, please visit our website at www.foresthillsdc.org (Blog & Facebook located here) or contact us at 202-966-7623.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Sincerely,
Crystal L. Scott, Administrator
See link, Forest Hills in the News, Boil Water Advisory
Boil Water Advisory - Situation/Status Report as of 21:00 EST on January 19, 2024
DC Water has issued a boil water advisory (BWA) for a large portion of NW DC following multiple instances where there were low pressures (below 20 PSI) identified throughout the affected area. DC Water has turned on additional pumps to increase water pressure throughout the system; however, the drop in water pressure presents a situation where bacteria may have infiltrated the water system.
EPA requires that DC Water conduct three days of consecutive water testing before the BWA can be lifted. They are pulling the first samples this evening (1/19/24) throughout the affected area. As such, please prepare that this BWA will not end any earlier than Sunday, January 21, 2024, in the afternoon. In the event that samples come back positive, the BWA may be extended.
DC Health's epidemiology team will be conducting enhanced syndromic biosurveillance over the next 21 days to monitor for potential health impacts should there have been an incursion into the water by bacteria, parasites, and/or viruses. This will be done through existing surveillance capacity utilizing emergency department data and no additional action is required by the community or the healthcare system at this time. If a treating clinician suspects a waterborne illness and wishes to reach out to the State Epidemiologist, they can do so via their infection control team or by calling the on-call epidemiologist at (844) 493-2652.
Healthcare facilities and others can confirm as to whether or not they are in the affected area by going to DC Water's website and using their interactive map and entering an address within the platform. You can access that site by going to: https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/boil-water-advisory-issued-portion-dc/65-b4eba7b9-27bb-40bd-be32-8ec82c42edfd
If you live in an impacted area, DC Water says to boil any water before using it to drink or cook.
