Despite what Alert DC told us all this morning, WASA says the power outage in Columbia Heights was not caused by a water main break. We weren't the only ones who reported a main break at 13th and Florida this morning, but it also wouldn't be the first time Alert DC oversimplified something that was more nuanced. "It was not a water main break on 13th street. The corporation stop (or plug) that is put......

The D.C. Water and Sewer Authority sent around word this morning that too many people, especially in Southeast, have been opening up fire hydrants during the heat wave over the past few days, and water pressure in some areas is now very low as a result. The agency says they'd really, really like it if you would stop opening up those hydrants and playing in the resulting spraying water.The public is reminded that unauthorized use......

A water main break is disrupting traffic on 16th Street NW between Florida Ave. and Euclid Street. D.C. Water and Sewer Authority workers are on the scene working on the break. Only one lane is getting by northbound past the workers at this time. If you need to head north of U Street NW in the area, take 15th Street instead. We're waiting to hear back from WASA, but initial reports indicate low water......

Several neighborhood blogs are posting information about the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority's upcoming public meetings to discuss a proposed 8.5 percent rate increase to city water and sewer rates. WASA is one of the city's most troubled agencies, having come under fire many times in recent years, notably for water pressure and communication problems that may have hampered firefighters during an apartment fire in Adams Morgan, elevated lead and toxic chlorine levels in the......

Earlier today the AlertDC system sent out an advisory that five water mains had broken overnight in Southeast DC. The DC Water and Sewer Authority followed up with a press release a couple of hours later with the exact locations of the breaks, details on service disruptions, and repair schedule. The utility said that approximately 50 households were affected, though more may be impacted as work continues through the evening. * Work to repair a......

The D.C. Water and Sewer Authority sent us the following statement in reaction to this post we ran earlier this week, about how their practice of partial lead pipe replacement appears to have caused very large spikes in the tap water lead levels of hundreds of District homes. To refresh your memory, the Washington Post reported last weekend on a set of test results from 2006 that show major lead level spikes in the tap......

On Saturday the Post reported on a set of D.C. Water and Sewer Authority test results from 2006 that show major lead level spikes in the tap water of hundreds of homes just after lead pipes near them were replaced. The test results were obtained through a freedom of information act request by Virginia Tech professor Marc Edwards. WASA has spent $93 million since 2004 in an effort to reduce lead contamination in residential tap......