What To Do During and After A Boil Water Advisory (BWA)

BWA lifted July 3 at 9 p.m.; read the latest news releases

During a BWA

Customers in the impacted area, if you have any water coming from your taps, you should bring your water to a rolling boil for one minute, then cool it before:

Consuming Any Water	Brushing Teeth	Preparing Baby Food & Formula
Washing Fruits & Vegetables	Giving to Pets	Making Ice

Water does not have to be boiled before it is used for washing dishes, hands, laundry, or bathing as long as it is not consumed.

After the BWA is Lifted, Flush Your Cold-Water Lines

Begin with sink faucet on the lowest ﬂoor.
Slowly open the cold-water sink faucet. Opening slowly allows for the release of trapped air and may reduce the banging noise, known as a “water hammer,” that can occur when water ﬂow and pressure changes as a result of water main repair work.
Repeat on each ﬂoor, moving from lowest to highest, only opening cold-water sink faucets.
Once the water runs clear, usually in 5 minutes or less, turn off faucets in the same order, lowest to highest.
You should also ﬂush your refrigerator’s water lines.
Customers and businesses should also dispose of stored water, drinks or ice made since the BWA. The next three batches of ice should also be thrown out. Ice maker containers should be wiped clean with a solution of two tablespoons of bleach to one gallon of water.

If you still experience problems after performing these procedures or if you have any questions, please contact our Emergency Services Center 24/7 at 301-206-4002.

Customers are also encouraged to sign up to receive alerts from our Customer Service Notification System in case of any future water main breaks or other water or sewer emergencies near their homes or businesses.