LAUREL (July 21, 2010): The Commissioners of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) today saluted WSSC workers and contractors who replaced a section of a 96-inch water main in Potomac after a monitoring system indicated it could possibly break.

“Your dedication and hard work during the Independence Day holiday weekend in horrific heat, averted a potential catastrophe,” WSSC Commission Chair Antonio L. Jones said during a Commission meeting attended by many of the 141 staffers on duty that weekend. Jones said: “The Commissioners appreciate what you do on behalf of customers and the Commission. The 96” water main repair was truly a world-class event from planning to implementation to execution. Well Done!”

A state-of-the-art monitoring system called acoustic fiber optics (AFO) detected breakage of several of reinforcing wires inside the Pre-stressed Concrete Cylinder Pipe (PCCP) near the intersection of Tuckerman Lane and Gainsborough Road and set an alarm. The pipe was taken out of service and a new section was installed after staff and contractors worked around the clock to make repairs over the July 4 weekend.

Mandatory water restrictions were declared to ensure adequate water pressure for fighting fires and to reduce risk to the entire system. The restrictions were lifted on July 6.

In an e-mail to employees, WSSC General Manager Jerry N. Johnson stated, “We are so very proud of our employees and the contractors who represented the Commission in all phases of the replacement operation.” Johnson also thanked public safety personnel in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties and Maryland officials for their support of WSSC actions that weekend.

Those Who Worked to Repair the 96” Potomac Water Main

Pictured above are some of the 141 WSSC staff members who worked to replace a section of the 96” over the July 4 weekend.

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Established in 1918, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission is the 8th largest water and wastewater utility in the nation, with a network of more than 5,500 miles of fresh water pipeline and nearly 5,400 miles of sewer pipeline. Serving 1.8 million residents in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties, our drinking water has always met or exceeded federal standards.