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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Laurel– March 23, 2013: The 60” water transmission main that burst Monday night in Chevy Chase has been repaired and returned to service. That allows WSSC to lift mandatory water restrictions, effective immediately.
The main failed just before 8 p.m. Monday near the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Chevy Chase Lake Drive, sending a geyser more than 30 feet into the air.
Several customers lost water at the time of the break, but their service was restored after several hours. WSSC lost about 60 million gallons of water and ordered water restrictions for all business and residential customers. This was necessary to continue to maintain adequate pressure and capacity for fire protection in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties.
The repair is now complete, but restoration of the area, including roadway, sidewalk, removal of damaged trees, and work on the stream bed near the break will take weeks. This will require that the far right northbound lane on Connecticut Avenue remain closed in the vicinity of the break.
“We thank our customers for their conservation efforts and patience as we repaired this important transmission main, and we deeply regret the inconvenience this caused. " said WSSC GM/CEO Jerry N. Johnson. “And I thank our people who worked tirelessly to be sure the repairs were made quickly and safely. Our investigation of this incident will be thorough so we can fully understand what took place and take appropriate action.”
The cause of the break is undetermined. A forensic analysis is underway and will include experts outside of WSSC. It may take several months to have results.
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14501 Sweitzer Lane