Update at 9:45 a.m. — The Boil Water Advisory from Wednesday night has been lifted, Arlington County said in the following alert just before 9 a.m.
Arlington County has lifted [the] Boil Water Advisory issued on July 3.
The advisory was issued out of an abundance of caution due to clarity issues found at the Washington Aqueduct, the County’s source for drinking water. Further investigation shows that water quality standards were never exceeded at any time.
Unlike advisories issued as the result of large water main breaks, water use can resume immediately, and all tests show it is safe to drink and meets all federal and state standards.
Arlington County appreciates the patience and understanding of its residents, businesses and their customers as staff followed procedures that place public health and safety as the highest priority.
Earlier: Arlington and D.C. residents are being asked to boil their water as a precaution due to potential contamination caused by algae blooms in the Potomac River.
The Boil Water Advisory was issued around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday and is in effect until further notice. It applies to all but a small portion of western Arlington served by Fairfax County’s water system.
“Higher levels of turbidity have been observed in water held at the [Washington] Aqueduct, which is sourced from the Potomac River and also serves the District of Columbia,” Arlington County said in a press release. “Customers may notice their water looks cloudy or hazy. Higher levels of turbidity can impact the effectiveness of the water treatment process”
Residents are encouraged to boil their water for a minute before using it for everything from drinking to brushing teeth to serving pets.
The county is also asking residents to conserve water by avoiding watering lawns and washing cars over the July 4 holiday.
The full county press release is below.
As a precaution, Arlington has issued a Boil Water Advisory for customers across the County on July 3, 2024, due to water clarity issues found at the Washington Aqueduct, the County’s source for drinking water. The advisory is in effect until further notice.
Higher levels of turbidity have been observed in water held at the Aqueduct, which is sourced from the Potomac River and also serves the District of Columbia. Customers may notice their water looks cloudy or hazy. Higher levels of turbidity can impact the effectiveness of the water treatment process. The advisory is issued out of an abundance of caution as increased treatment processes continue at the Aqueduct, operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Customers located in the Willston Pressure Zone, a small section of the County that borders Fairfax County near the intersection of McKinley Rd. and Wilson Blvd., are not impacted by this advisory; view a map of the Willston Pressure Zone area.
Arlington customers should bring water to a rolling boil for one minute and then let it cool before:
- Drinking
- Brushing teeth
- Washing fruits and vegetables
- Preparing baby food and formula
- Making ice
- Giving to pets
Information will be shared when the advisory has been lifted. Check the County website for updates.
To maintain adequate water pressure for public safety during hot summer weather and the July Fourth holiday, customers are asked to keep seasonal water usage to a minimum, avoiding such activities as watering lawns and washing automobiles.
Visit Arlington’s Boil Water Advisory page for more information.
The Boil Water Advisory issued by DC Water, meanwhile, says that all of the District — plus the Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetery and Reagan National Airport — is also affected.
“Discard any beverages and ice made after 9 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3, 2024,” the notice says.
The DC Water advisory goes into more detail about the incident, noting that “the current water treatment must be adjusted to meet current water demand for all our customers” and “to ensure there is enough water for firefighting activities.”
On Wednesday, July 3, 2024, DC Water was notified by the Army Corps of Engineers Washington Aqueduct that due to turbidity the Dalecarlia Water Treatment Plant reduced production and all water treatment operations were being conducted at the McMillan Treatment Plant. The current water treatment must be adjusted to meet current water demand for all our customers. To ensure there is enough water for firefighting activities, the Aqueduct resumed pumping water from the Dalecarlia Treatment Plant Wednesday evening. We anticipate the water could have increased turbidity and therefore providing this cautionary boil water advisory.
Turbidity as a measure of the cloudiness of water as described by the EPA. It is used to indicate water quality and filtration effectiveness (such as whether disease-causing organisms are present).
Turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea and associated headaches. They may pose a greater health risk for infants, young children, 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 we issue this advisory as a precaution while we test the water.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which operates the Washington Aqueduct, says the increased water cloudiness is due to “increases in algae blooms in the Potomac River,” which “generally occur during high temperatures, causing conditions in water where nutrient levels are high.”
Blooms generally occur during high temperatures, causing conditions in water where nutrient levels are high.
Turbidity (a measure of water’s cloudiness/clarity, plays a crucial role in assessing water quality) can interfere with the effectiveness of the water treatment process.
— USACE Baltimore (@USACEBaltimore) July 4, 2024