PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. — Update: WSSC Water has lifted the restrictions earlier than expected because repairs have been completed. WSSC Water said some costumers may see discolored water and to flush the water if you see it. To do that, run cold water from all taps in your home from lowest to highest for five minutes or until the water runs clear. Flush refrigerator water lines as well.
More than 100,000 residents in southern Prince George's County were told to restrict their water usage while WSSC Water works to replace a massive water main.
"This is a large main in this area and it's out of service right now, so to avoid a boil water advisory — or to avoid even worse having no water — which would then cause a boil water advisory, we need everyone to be really mindful of their water use," said Lyn Riggins, a WSSC Water spokesperson.
Riggins said fiberoptic cables alerted them last week that the pipe was getting ready to fail and has saved the company and customers millions of dollars over the years. A proactive repair, like the one WSSC Water is currently working on, costs anywhere from $250,000 to $500,000 versus an emergency repair. That would cost about $2.5 million, according Riggins.
"We've had this cable in pipes since about 2007. We're up to about 110 miles of our largest pipes monitored 24/7 with this technology and it has alerted us 55 times that a pipe is about to fail so we can take it out of service proactively, and not have it break and have some type of a catastrophic situation. It's allowed to us to make controlled repairs," said Riggins.
Work started at 8 p.m. Wednesday, and while that work is going on, there is an essential water use only advisory in place for more than 100,000 people living in southern Prince George's county. Areas like Clinton, Rosaryville, Accokeek, Fort Washington, Brandywine, and Marlton are impact. Resident should conserve water so WSSC Water doesn't have to issue a boil water advisory. The work is expected to take three days.
"It's a big job. It's a 36-inch, three-foot-diameter pipe, and we're taking out a 16-foot section of that pipe so it is a big job...obviously a busy road that we're working right along the shoulder so we've excavated, we've dug down, we've exposed the pipe."
Next, crews will begin removing the cable, then cutting out the failing section of pipe and replace it with a new pipe. Next crews will reinstall the cables that monitors the pipe 24/7. WSSC Water says next crews will fill the pipe with water.
Once the pipe is refilled with water and the pressure is stabilized WSSC Water will be able to lift the water restrictions in place for those impacted areas.
"It's potentially 3 days as soon as we can get this water main back into service and we know the water distribution system is back to normal we will lift it but until then we really need everyone to abide by it," said Riggins.