PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) — WSSC Water lifted the boil water advisory that was affecting many customers in Prince George’s County on Wednesday afternoon.
In a news release, WSSC Water said that it completed testing and confirmed that water is safe to consume. The boil water advisory was lifted as of 4:25 p.m.
WSSC Water gave the following steps for customers to follow when turning on the water:
- Start with a sink faucet on the lowest floor.
- Slowly turn on the cold water.
- Do the same on each floor, moving from lowest to highest. Make sure you only open cold water sink faucets.
- Once the water runs clear, turn off the faucets in the same order (from lowest to highest). This may take around five minutes.
WSSC Water also recommended that customers flush refrigerator water lines and get rid of stored water, drinks or ice that was made since the boil water advisory.
Officials said that the water main break has not been completely repaired. Crews needed to “build an access road an install a temporary bridge to reach the broken pipe.”
The burst happened near the Beltway’s outer loop on Maryland Route 214. The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission were able to start restoring water Tuesday night.
“When these things happen there are protocols in place. We work carefully with the Maryland Department of the Environment to ensure we’re following their guidelines for testing the water” said WSSC Spokesperson Lyn Riggins. ”They don’t happen all the time. But when they do happen, we know how to respond and we’re ready to respond.”
To accommodate residents on Wednesday, the WSSC and Prince George’s County set up three water distribution centers for those affected from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Forestville, Clinton and Fort Washington. The sites would give each resident a free gallon of water depending on family size.
Euniesha Davis, Prince George’s County Community Relations Director joined the Forestville center Wednesday alongside WSSC members who were also participating.
“This is our third site. We set it up today because what we didn’t want is for our residents who live in this impacted area, for them to have to travel, given the inclement weather, to Fort Washington or Clinton,” said Davis
Davis said they saw up to about 50 cars only a couple of hours after opening the site. Some who came expressed gratitude for helping during the situation.
Forestville resident Mary Battle said boiling water is too much of a process considering how much it’s needed.
“I boiled water for about four hours just to get water for washing dishes, wash my meat — also to cook, have stuff for my grandchildren, everything,” said Battle.
Repairs were continuing as of Wednesday evening.
