People asked to conserve water after main breaks

WASHINGTON - Residents in Southeast are being asked to conserve water after a series of water main breaks in the District.

The D.C. Water and Sewer Authority is asking people living east of the Anacostia River not to use large volumes of water - for car washing, lawn watering and other activities - until the water main repairs are completed.

Of the six water main breaks, only two remain broken.

Workers will continue to repair a 20-inch break at 18th Street and Minnesota Avenue on Tuesday night.

As a result of the work, people may experience low water pressure or no water service in the following areas:

• Minnesota Ave. from 18th to Good Hope Rd., SE;
• Good Hope Rd. from Minnesota Ave. to 14th Street, SE;
• T Street from 18th Street to Minnesota Ave., SE;
• 17th Street from Minnesota to S Street, SE

Crews are also working to repair a 16-inch break at 4th Street and Mississippi Avenue. The work may affect residents and people at Simon Elementary School.

Repairs were completed at the following water main breaks:

• Bryan Place and Bangor Road SE;
• Atlantic Street between Livingston Road and Valley Avenue, SE;
• F Street SE and Texas Avenue SE;
• Morris Rd. and Mt. View Place SE

According to the alert system, no flooding has been reported.

The D.C. Fire Department is working to make sure it has enough water to fight fires.

"The affected area is primarily Southeast," says D.C. Fire and EMS spokesman Alan Etter.

A Mobile Command Center was established in the area to handle the water main breaks.

The largest break, a 20-inch break on a line at 18th Street and Minnesota Avenue, carries a great volume of water into Southeast.

"If there's a fire here, there won't be sufficient water pressure to put the necessary water on that fire to extinguish it," Etter says.

The fire department is assessing each individual hydrant in the affected areas to find out which hydrants can be used.

Additionally, seven specialized engine companies are in service. The water supply units, which each hold 500 gallons of water, are being dispatched to any fire or any report of a fire to ensure there's enough water, Etter says.

"We want to be able to make sure we have the adequate resources."

The problems started around 11 p.m. Monday.

"WASA reports that a surge of an unknown origin came through their system and it fractured several large diameter, water supply pipes that serve a great portion of Southeast Washington," Etter says.

He says the breaks triggered a number of automatic fire alarms as the alarms sensed a change in water pressure.

Firefighters responded to one water-related rescue around 2 a.m.

Engine Co. 25 Fire Lt. Eric McGuire says thousands of gallons of water gushed into a basement apartment at Atlantic Street at Valley Avenue, trapping a woman in 3 feet of water that was rising.

"A woman was screaming from behind the bars. She was trapped in the water," he says.

As firefighters called for backup and worked with hand tools to get into the apartment, the woman realized there was a back door she could use to get out of the apartment.

Etter says two families in the four-unit building had be relocated.

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