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Winter Weather
and
Water Main Breaks
As colder temperatures settle into the region, they can also
settle into our 5,000 miles of underground water mains -
causing pipe breaks that can potentially leave hundreds of
customers without service and impact area roadways. WSSC
is ready to tackle winter weather water main breaks with:
- A “24/7” rapid response center that handles emergency calls and quickly dispatches crews. For water or sewer emergencies, please call 1-800-828-6439 or (301) 206-4002;
- More than 200 personnel trained to quickly respond to and repair water main breaks;
- Teams strategically placed in both counties to respond to weekend and overnight emergencies;
- Independent contractors available to supplement WSSC teams when necessary;
- The latest technology used to pinpoint the exact locations of water main breaks;
- Hundreds of pieces of heavy equipment to help teams excavate and repair breaks;
- A Geographic Information System (GIS) computer program to help us better track and schedule water main maintenance and replacement activities; and
- More than $230 million allocated over the next six years to replace more than 200 miles of water mains.
It's important to protect your home plumbing pipes and inside water meter from freezing and bursting.
Here are some tips to help winterize your home:
- Repair broken windows, doors and walls and tightly close doors and windows to the outside;
- Insulate outside walls;
- Inquire at your local plumbing or hardware store about materials to insulate pipes and meters;
- Seal all leaks in crawl spaces and basements. If your vents won't close, cover them from the inside with insulation, cardboard, plastic or newspaper;
- Turn off the water to outside faucets, remove hoses and drain the pipes;
- If a pipe freezes, completely open the cold water faucet nearest the frozen pipe. This will relieve the pressure and reduce the chance of breakage;
- Use a hand-held dryer if you decide to thaw the pipe yourself; and
- If you're not certain what to do, call a registered plumber for help.
Please click on the links below to learn more about how winter weather
impacts our pipes, and what you can do to protect your home plumbing
pipes.
Current Maintenance Emergencies
Click here to view updated information
on water and sewer line breaks or other problems affecting water and sewer services
in the Prince George's and Montgomery county service areas.
Updated Water Temp vs. Broken Mains
Click here to view
the latest chart.
Documents
Charts
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