Millions of residents in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties are being asked to limit water use to “essential purposes” as extreme cold fuels a spike in water main breaks across the region.
Laurel-based WSSC Water made the request Tuesday night for its roughly 1.9 million customers, citing a sharp increase in demand and a growing number of breaks and leaks caused by frigid temperatures. The utility reported 33 known breaks and leaks as of Tuesday night, adding there were likely more unreported across its 1,000-square-mile system.
“Heavy snowfall and extreme winter conditions are significantly limiting crews’ ability to visually locate breaks,” WSSC officials said in a statement, adding that customer reports of water flowing on streets, sidewalks or rights of way are critical right now to maintaining system pressure.
Officials added that conserving water could also help system pressure while crews work to make repairs.
Montgomery and Prince George’s customers are being asked to take shorter showers, turn off faucets when not in use, flush toilets less frequently and limit use of washing machines and dishwashers. Despite the conservation request, WSSC continues to recommend leaving a faucet running at a slow trickle during extreme cold to help prevent pipes inside homes from freezing.
Officials from the utility said they started identifying the breaks earlier Tuesday, as water demand has surged over the past 24 hours to levels far above what is typical for this time of year.
WSSC said it is also facing production challenges at both of its filtration plants because of the cold. Additional maintenance crews, staff from other departments and emergency contractors have been deployed to search for unreported breaks and make repairs.
As for how long these repairs might take, WSSC officials couldn’t give an exact timeline. They cautioned that the work might take longer than usual, and some customers could experience extended outages or low water pressure as inspectors shut down damaged mains to stabilize the system.
Customers can report suspected breaks by calling 301-206-4002, emailing emergencycallcenter@wsscwater.com or using the WSSC Water mobile app.
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