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 in place to facilitate water testing from the main had come out and needed to be replaced. For that reason, crews needed to dig to access the main. Customers were not without water, though traffic was disrupted due to the closure of 13 Street between Florida and Belmont,” wrote DC WASA public affairs coordinator Pamela Mooring in an email. “The power outage was not caused by the water main work.”

Hmm. So what did cause the power outage, and why would AlertDC blame the main break for it?

Mooring also confirmed that 13th Street between Belmont and Florida was reopened at 5:15 p.m.