Joint Base Andrews, Md. -- –
A 54-inch water main broke in the 9200 block of E. Hampton Drive in Capitol Heights. The break of the 40-year old water main occurred at approximately 3:50 a.m. on Monday, 24 January 2011.
As a precaution, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC), provider of drinking water to Joint Base Andrews, has issued a Boil Water Advisory (BWA).
When water systems lose pressure there is an increased risk of contamination. Therefore, the WSSC recommends that you boil water for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth and food preparation. Water should be brought to rolling boil for one minute and cooled before use. Water for pets should be boiled and then cooled for their use.
Bathing can be performed without boiling the water first as the non-potable water is disinfected with chlorine. However, care should be given to ensure that water is not ingested.
2 x 6,000 gallon water tanks have been obtained and will be placed at the base Dining Facility and in the parking lot near the base theater. In addition, 3 x 400 gallon water buffaloes have been filled with potable water and will be placed at Malcolm Grow Medical Center, the community housing office and the west side of the flighline.
Personnel should seek medical attention if they consume the non-potable water and it results in diarrhea, abdominal pain or cramps.
Water consumed prior to losing pressure this morning was potable and safe to drink. WSSC performs weekly physical, chemical and biological sampling of the drinking water leaving their treatment plants to ensure the drinking water is safe for consumption. In addition, the Bioenvironmental Engineering office performs weekly drinking water sampling to ensure that the integrity of the drinking water has not been compromised.
WSSC is repairing the damaged pipe and will perform drinking water sampling to ensure the water meets safe drinking water quality standards. The base expects that the situation will be resolved within 72 hours.
Please contact the 779 Aerospace Medicine Squadron (AMDS) Bioenvironmental Engineering office at 240-857-3380 for additional information concerning the drinking water quality. For additional information about alternate water supplies, please contact 301-981-5058.