WASHINGTON – The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) says that customers in the Laurel and Beltsville areas of Prince George’s County could be experiencing discolored water.

While WSSC says drinking discolored water is not harmful, the commission does not recommend using discolored water to prepare baby formula or wash clothing. Customers who have already washed clothes in the discolored water should immediately wash clothes again using a rust remover product.

According to WSSC, discolored water is water containing an accumulation of iron and manganese sediment from rusting pipes or a buildup of chemical deposits on the pipes.

WSSC says discolored water can taste different than regular, clear tap water. Customers may also experience low water pressure.

The discolored water is the result of a broken water main on Saturday afternoon east of I-95 near the intersection of Van Dusen and Virginia Manor where a contractor was working on a project for the State Highway Administration (SHA).

WSSC says estimates it will take a couple of days for the water to clear. For more information on discolored water, view the WSSC pamphlet.

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