Water Service Restored After Water Main Breaks at Howard University Hospital

Water service has been restored Monday afternoon at Howard University Hospital, about 12 hours after a broken water main forced some patients to relocate and some appointments to be canceled.

The water main break happened around 3:30 a.m., flooding the lower level of the hospital, a representative said.

D.C. Water crews turned off the valve that caused the flooding while Howard crews worked to fix the problem. The hospital said shortly after 3:30 p.m. that water service had been restored.

However, hospital officials said emergency ambulances are still being redirected to other local hospitals, and endoscopy, surgeries and radiation oncology services have not yet resumed at the hospital.

"These will continue to be re-directed to other area health care providers until further notice," according to a Howard University Hospital statement.

The hospital expects emergency services for walk-in patients to resume by 7 p.m. Monday, with other services expected to resume Tuesday.

All staff members should report to work as scheduled, but patients with appointments for Monday were asked to call their doctors to ask if they should reschedule. 

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Patient Deloris Heilighy said she was disappointed to hear she could not see a doctor Monday. 

"It took me a month to get this appointment. Now, I guess it will take me another month to get another one," she said. 

Before the problem was fixed, eight critical care patients were relocated, and the hospital was using a three-day emergency supply of water.

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