NORTH BETHESDA, Md. — A large water main break caused traffic delays Tuesday, leaving around 500 customers without water in North Bethesda.
According to Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) officials, the water main break happened just before 10 a.m. along the southbound lanes of Rockville Pike near Strathmore Avenue. As of 2:30 p.m., two southbound lanes between Edson Lane and Strathmore Road by the water main were receiving repair work.
As of Tuesday evening, WSSC said there were minimal delays in the area due to the water main break.
Over 400 units inside a Grosvenor Park condominium building lost service for much of Tuesday. WSSC crews arrived in the afternoon to offer them jugs of water.
"When I went into the kitchen to turn some water on to get a drink of water, it had a little bit dripping out and then it stopped," resident Sue Ressler said. "I couldn’t drink some water which I like to drink first thing in the morning.”
Others who spoke to WUSA 9 said the water shutdown forced them to travel to other areas and switch up their morning routine.
"I had to leave early today to go take a shower at my parent’s house because I had just come back from work," resident Elizabeth Aust said.
This is at least the third time a water main has broken on Rockville Pike in the last month.
On June 10, a water main break happened off Rockville Pike at Cedar Lane in Montgomery County – causing major traffic delays along Rockville Pike in North Bethesda. According to WSSC Water, crews were able to shut off the water in order to quickly assess the situation.
And on May 24, a water main break also blocked all southbound lanes of Rockville Pike at Strathmore Avenue in North Bethesda. WSSC officials said crews were able to work as quickly as possible to close valves in order to stop the flow of water from running onto Rockville Pike – preventing more delays during rush hour traffic.
In both instances, large sections of the pipe had to be replaced.
One resident said the multiple water main breaks over the past few weeks brought frustration.
"I've had to take different ways to get here. I’ve had to go take showers at different places and grab water," Aust said.