WSSC Continues Repairing Large Number of Water Main Breaks

The cold weather is not letting up and neither are the water main breaks. As of 9 a.m., there were 52 breaks in need of repair in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. While 27 crews were on the streets repairing breaks all day, additional breaks continued to be reported. As of tonight, there are 51 breaks still awaiting repair.

According to WSSC officials, the spike in the number of water main breaks is due to the extended period of extremely cold weather, which has caused colder than usual water to flow through the pipes. Since the beginning of February, there have been over 330 water main breaks. Since the beginning of this current cold snap on Feb. 16 there have been over 200 breaks.

On Sunday and Monday, WSSC officials said in a news release that the water system could no longer overcome the impact of all the broken mains and storage levels began to fall. Water was being lost at a higher rate than could be replenished. Officials say the system has now been stabilized and all storage levels have returned to normal; however, another significant issue, such as a large water main break, could place the system under additional stress.

When water storage drops below a certain level, water pressure for firefighting can become compromised. Low water pressure can also lead to boil water advisories.

WSSC encourages customers to report water main breaks, but reminds everyone that the response time is longer than normal because of the extraordinary number of breaks.

The best way to report a broken water main is via email at emergencycallcenter@wsscwater.com and be sure to include the address of the break.

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