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Regional Drought Watch
WSSC Water Crews are Winter Ready!
Typical Repairs Can Take 4-6 Hours After Digging and Uncovering Damaged Pipe
Drivers Urged to Slow Down, Move Over and Pay Attention in Work Zones
Laurel, Md. – December 5, 2024 – Winter hasn’t officially arrived, but the recent cold snap has triggered a spike in water main breaks and leaks across Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. WSSC Water crews are working around the clock to restore service to customers.
The Potomac River temperature is like a crystal ball when predicting an increase in water main breaks and leaks: As the river temp drops, water main breaks/leaks increase. As the region remains under a drought watch because of record-low rainfall, the river level is more shallow than normal, causing the temperature to cool off more quickly. View our Potomac River temps vs. breaks/leak chart: wsscwater.com/rivertemp.
Since Thanksgiving (one week ago), the river temperature has dropped 11 degrees from 55 to 44 degrees, triggering a significant uptick in the number of water main breaks and leaks. WSSC Water has experienced 111 breaks/leaks since November 28.
Water main breaks/leaks tend to increase a few days after the river temperature hits a new low because the colder water takes time to travel through approximately 5,900 miles of water distribution mains.
Aging infrastructure is a critical factor in breaks and leaks. The older pipes are “shocked” by the colder water, causing them to break. Approximately 40 percent of the water mains in WSSC Water’s system are more than 50 years old.
During a typical year, WSSC Water crews repair more than 1,700 water main breaks and leaks, approximately 65 percent of which (1,115) occur between November and February.
WSSC Water asks for their customers’ patience, especially during the busy winter months. All water main breaks and leaks are inspected and prioritized for repair, taking into account the damage being caused, the safety of the area and the number of customers impacted.
With the escalating number of water main breaks, response time can be delayed due to the limited number of crews working across the 1,000-square-mile service area.
A leak that is not causing damage can be left running to ensure customers have water service until a crew is available to make repairs. When a crew is assigned to make a repair, it typically takes four to six hours after we have dug up and uncovered the damaged pipe. Repair time does not include the time it takes to locate the break and for Miss Utility to mark other underground utilities (i.e., gas, electric). Other factors, like the pipe size, location and depth buried, can add significant time to repairs. Water mains can range from three inches to 96 inches in diameter.
“WSSC Water crews are committed to serving our customers 24/7/365 and are prepared to respond to the increase in water main breaks and leaks,” said WSSC Water General Manager and CEO Kishia L. Powell. “More breaks mean more crews working on area roads. We implore drivers to slow down, move over and pay attention when traveling through our work zones to help ensure our employees can safely go home to their families.”
One of the nation’s largest water utilities, WSSC Water spends more than $20 million each year for emergency water main repairs, with about $12 million spent November through February. Emergency repair costs have increased by 25 percent in the past two years.
WSSC Water, serving 1.9 million customers in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties, maintains approximately 5,900 miles of water mains covering a 1,000-square-mile area. With such an extensive, aging distribution system spanning the two counties, WSSC Water encourages customers to report water main breaks and leaks as quickly as possible.
There are three simple ways to report a break:
The “Report a Problem” feature on WSSC Water’s mobile app allows customers to easily snap a picture of a water or sewer problem and send it directly to the Emergency Call Center. The application uses GPS to pinpoint the image’s location, allowing dispatchers to send an inspector directly there.
WSSC Water maintains the pipes in the streets and the connections up to the property line. If a pipe on private property or inside a home or business freezes, it is the property owner’s responsibility to repair it.
Find more #WinterReady tips for homeowners at wsscwater.com/winterready.
WSSC Water is the proud provider of safe, seamless and satisfying water services, making the essential possible every day for our neighbors in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. We work to deliver our best because it’s what our customers expect and deserve.