Boil-water advisory lifted for the District and Arlington County

DC Water has lifted a boil-water advisory that had been implemented late Wednesday for its customers in the District and Arlington County.

The regional water authority issued Thursday morning an alert saying that tap water could be used for consumption after it determined that "drinking water provided by the Washington Aqueduct never deviated" from standards set by Environmental Protection Agency.

DC Water implemented the boil-water advisory late Wednesday because algae blooms in the Potomac River had caused water flowing through the aqueduct to appear hazy or cloudy, possibly indicating contamination.

"Blooms generally occur during high temperatures, causing conditions in water where nutrient levels are high," said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which operates the aqueduct.

The boil-water advisory affected DC Water customers in the District, at the Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetery and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.