Pr. George's County Residents Urged To Boil Water Until Thursday

As crews work to repair that water main break in Prince George's County, area residents are being urged to continue boiling their water until at least Thursday.

The advisory is a necessary precaution since water is easily contaminated when the system loses pressure as it did Monday, when this 54-inch water main ruptured just south of Central Avenue in Capitol Heights.

Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission spokesperson Lyn Riggins says everyone has water, but quality is an issue.

"We need to just give the system some time to get back to normal. And later today we'll collect samples, we'll collect another round, and as soon as we're comfortable, we'll lift the boil-water advisory," Riggins says. "We know it's an inconvenience to boil your water, but at the same time, we want to make sure that that water is safe."

Approximately 400,000 residents, who live just south of Central Avenue and Route 202, all the way to Indian Head Highway, are affected.

Diana Ford, who lives in Capitol Heights, says she's using water boiled and bottled.

"I have a dog...I use bottled water for him anyway," she says.

Repairs on the water main could last till the end of the week.