D.C. National Guard's 33rd CST assists the District with water contamination emergency

WASHINGTON, DC (12/18/2014)(readMedia)-- The D.C. National Guard's 33rd Civil Support Team (CST) deployed Wednesday evening through early Thursday morning to support the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department by testing water samples after it was discovered city water might be contaminated.

DC Water received reports of the petroleum-type smell in the drinking water Wednesday and issued a do-not-drink advisory for a roughly 6-block portion of northwest DC.

Within one hour of the request, CST personnel arrived on scene and then started analysis of the samples in the unit's Analytical Laboratory System. At the conclusion of those initial tests a contaminate was identified in the water. This resulted in further tests by the District Department of Environment and DC Water.

District officials also began flushing the water system and as of Thursday evening officials were still working to lift the water advisory.

The CSTs response last January to the Elk River contamination in West Virginia has helped prepare the team for this type of water emergency and the team's quick response has helped authorities determine there was a contamination and facilitated the District's response.

The CSTs were established to deploy rapidly to assist a local authorities in determining the nature and extent of natural or manmade disasters; provide expert technical advice on response operations; and help identify and support the arrival of follow-on state and federal military response assets.

The CST can identify agents and substances, assess current and projected consequences, advise on response measures, and assist with requests for additional military support.