Boil Water Advisory Lifted

By FALLS CHURCH CITY COMMUNICATIONS
July 2, 2012

The Boil Water Advisory for Falls Church Water customers in Tysons Corner, Vienna, and Dunn Loring has been lifted. Customers no longer need to boil or treat tap water for drinking or cooking. Two rounds of bacteriological testing were performed as advised by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and came back negative. At no time did the Falls Church Water Utility have evidence of harmful substances in the water. The Advisory was released out of an abundance of caution.

The Falls Church Water Utility customers have not been placed in any health risk over this event, due to the rapid and tireless response by the City of Falls Church Water Utility and its partners.

Why the Advisory Was Necessary

On Saturday, June 30, Falls Church Water Utility asked all customers in Tysons Corner, Vienna, and Dunn Loring to boil or treat water before drinking or cooking. This precaution was necessary due to a drop in water pressure in the Tysons and Vienna area of the City water system on Saturday afternoon. The City’s back-up generators restored water pressure, and electric power has since been restored to all pumping stations.

Dominion’s Vice President of Electric Distribution Operations, Rodney Blevins said, “The storms last Friday and Saturday resulted in the most significant damage suffered by the company outside of hurricanes. This storm could not be forecasted well ahead of time by the National Weather Service. That is complicating restoration efforts because crews and supplies could not be positioned in advance.”

The City, in conjunction with the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), analyzed all courses of action, and opted to aggressively protect the interest of customers in issuing this boil advisory.

Falls Church Water Utility Customer Service is available at 703-248-5071. Water main breaks and other water emergencies should be reported to Police Dispatch, 703-248-5050.