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Takoma Park residents left with brown water following water main break, amid heatwave

Ethan Allen Avenue was closed for several hours between Sycamore Avenue and Jackson Avenue due to the water main break. Repair work has since been completed.

TAKOMA PARK, Md. — A water main break in Takoma Park, Maryland Thursday left some residents with brown water, officials said, as a heat wave grips the city.

Authorities said residents of Ethan Allen Avenue saw brown water Thursday morning due to a water main break. WSSC Water says the brown water is due to pipes pulling from the bottom of the water line once water is turned off. 

WSSC Water said despite the off-putting color, the water is safe to drink. 

"Discolored water may not be aesthetically pleasing, but it is safe to drink," WSSC says on its website. "However, WSSC Water does not recommend using discolored water to do laundry. Clothes can become stained."

WSSC also says after repair work is completed, residents should flush the cold water lines in their homes/businesses. Here a few tips:

  • Run all cold water taps for about five minutes or until the water runs clear.
  • Begin with the lowest faucet in your home or business and then open the other faucets one at a time, moving from your lowest floor to your highest. 
  • Once the water runs clear, usually in five minutes or less, turn off your faucets in the same order, lowest to highest.
  • You should also flush your refrigerator's water lines. 

The water main break couldn't have come at a worse time for the City of Takoma as residents face an early summer heat wave, with the temperature reaching the high 90s. The water flowed down the street and flooded a couple of homes, including the basement of Pete Michos.

“It started gushing out of the toilet and the tub,” Michos said. “The tub is full of mud."

Crews had to shut off water and power to his house as repairs continued. Luckily, they were restored a few hours earlier.

Neighbor Bob Potash also had a temporary service disruption.

“It’s hot enough so it’s not a pleasant experience,” Potash said.

Meanwhile, another neighbor said she had to melt ice cubes at first before picking up jugs of water from a nearby grocery store.

“It's like an oven outside, like walking into a toaster oven,” she said. “It's that first morning flush when the tank doesn't fill up when you know something is wrong.”

WSSC set up a water distribution station at Mar Thoma Church's parking lot, located at 322 Ethan Allen Avenue, to provide cases of water to those impacted by the water main break. It stayed open until the repair work was finished, which wrapped up Thursday night around 8 p.m. 

A WSSC Water spokesperson said the repair took longer than normal because the broken main is located between a gas and communication line. Crews had to dig by hand because of other utilities near the main line. 

For more information on what you should know about your water turning brown after a water main break, please contact WSSC at 301-206-4002.

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