DC’s boil water advisory lifted, but questions over communications remain

D.C. Water’s board of directors is taking a “deep review” of the agency’s communication issues surrounding D.C.’s boil water advisory last week, the Washington Post reports. It all started on Thursday night when a pumping station maintenance worker failed to turn off a valve, causing water pressure to drop in areas in Northeast and Northwest, which could allow bacteria to get into the system.

Water in the city is safe to drink as of yesterday, but there are lingering questions about how DC water communicated the message to residents: WTOP brings up slowdowns with the DC Water website and customer service line Friday, while the Post notes that some residents believe the communication about the crisis was delayed including robo-calls that took up to eight hours to go through.

• DC Water addresses communication concerns during water advisory [WTOP]
• For most of D.C., tap water is safe. But communication problems abound. [WaPo]
• Water boil advisory caught some D.C. residents by surprise [WaPo]
• D.C’s boil water advisory: here’s a map to see if your home is affected [Curbed DC]