Arlington County is warning residents to avoid human or pet contact with the water from Four Mile Run. A petroleum product has reportedly been found in the water.
From a county news release:
Arlington County today advised residents to avoid the water in Four Mile Run, downstream from highway 395 to the Potomac River.
The County issued the warning after the Arlington County Fire Department discovered the petroleum release, from an unknown source, at about 8 a.m. Thursday morning. ACFD was responding to a business owner’s report of a “fuel odor” in Four Mile Run stream. County staff are investigating the source of the release and have placed booms in the stream to collect the petroleum.
To eliminate the risk of exposure to the petroleum, until further notice, residents should:
- Stay away from the affected waters
- Keep your pets away
- Avoid recreational use of Four Mile Run downstream of 395
- Do not fish, wade or swim in the stream
The advisory to avoid all contact is an extra precaution to allow the effect of the discharge to be diminished by natural flushing of the stream.
NOTE: Residents are reminded that stream water can contain microorganisms that can make people sick, whether the stream is located in an urban area or in the middle of a forest. Even after the discharge is naturally flushed from the stream, the County’s normal precautions for safe use of streams apply. You can find information and safety tips on Arlington streams, including information on reporting stream pollution incidents, on the Department of Environmental Service website.
Related Posts
- County Lifts Advisory for Four Mile Run April 6, 2012
- Sewage Spill Reported in Four Mile Run April 3, 2012
- Federal Funds Approved to Help Restore Four Mile Run June 14, 2011
- Sewage Release Prompts Water Warning October 16, 2010
Fuel Mile Run
So non-residents can have the contact they want?
Just think – we could have our own Cuyahoga River to complement our own pathetic Cleveland Browns
this is why we don’t allow smoking in the parks. DOH.
Why is Four Mile Run always contaminated?
Prolly related to the recent car break-ins.
New Year’s Resolutions for Arlington County:
1) Stop bank robberies
2) Find a way to keep people from dumping stuff in Four Mile Run.
must run more efficiently on diesel
The county has to tell people that? I thought that was common sense.
I suspect a lot of the people who live around FMR do need to be told that.
Automatic transmission fluid?
Totally agree. I’m all for exercise, but jogging more than 3 miles is starting to get a little ridiculous.