WASHINGTON — Three schools in the nation's capital are closed Thursday amid an ongoing order not to drink tap water in a section of northwest Washington because of petroleum contamination in the water system.
D.C. Water issued the do-not-drink advisory Wednesday afternoon, and workers went door to door that night to warn residents. The water problems were discovered after reports of a petroleum smell in the water.
The source of the contamination is still under investigation.
Crews opened fire hydrants to flush contaminants out of the system overnight. Testing was to continue Thursday, and if no contaminants were found, the restrictions could be lifted by Thursday afternoon, D.C. Water officials said.
A spokesman for the utility said initial testing found hydrocarbons in the water that could come from petroleum or tar.
