The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority has urged District residents whose homes have lead service lines to flush their taps for 10 minutes to protect against high levels of lead in drinking water. Officials with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have agreed that the longer flushing time will ensure that water left in lead service lines overnight or for long periods is drained off before customers collect water for drinking or cooking.

WASA had previously distributed brochures and stated publicly that residents should flush their taps for about one or two minutes, a guideline based on long-standing EPA recommendations. The original guidelines were actually issued several times, including September 2003. The safety of the District’s water supply is WASA’s top priority and we are working diligently to understand why there has been an increase in lead levels in tap water in some homes. We are committed to discovering the cause of elevated lead levels, identifying solutions, and fixing the problem.