**FINAL UPDATE – Friday, September 6, 4:00 AM** Essential-Water-Use-Only Request LIFTED

Laurel, Md. – September 6, 2024, 4:00 A.M.  – WSSC Water has lifted the essential water-use-only request as of 4:00 a.m. today for customers in portions of southern Prince George’s County.

Crews worked around the clock since late Wednesday to replace a failing section of 36-inch-diameter prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP) water transmission main. Once the main was replaced, crews reinstalled the Acoustic Fiber Optic Monitoring (AFO) system and recharged the water main. The water distribution system in this area has now returned to normal. The old pipe will be taken to WSSC Water’s nearby maintenance facility for a complete forensic analysis.

The one-way traffic operation along Dower House Road near Old Pike Way remains in effect today. Crews are on-site for road restoration. WSSC Water strongly encourages motorists to slow down and stay alert while driving through work zones. 

WSSC Water appreciates the cooperation, partnership and patience of customers in southern Prince George’s County. Their efforts to limit water use as crews made incredible progress replacing the old pipe helped avoid a potential Boil Water Advisory or complete loss of water.

Possible Discolored Water

It is possible for customers in the southern Prince George’s County area to experience discolored water following this work. If discolored water is experienced, WSSC Water recommends customers flush the COLD water lines in your homes or business using the following steps:

• Run all COLD water taps for about five minutes or until the water runs clear.
• Begin with the lowest faucet in your home or business and then open the other faucets one at a time, moving from your lowest floor to your highest.
• Once the water runs clear, usually in five minutes or less, turn off your faucets in the same order, lowest to highest.
• You should also flush your refrigerator's water lines.

Background

The failing 16-foot-long section of the 36-inch-diameter PCCP was under Dower House Road, just south of MD 4 (Pennsylvania Avenue). This main was installed in 1968. As with other large diameter PCCP, WSSC Water installed AFO cable within this pipe. The AFO cable, which floats inside the pipe, continuously monitors the integrity of large diameter PCCP and provides notification to trained personnel if a potential problem is detected. WSSC Water began installing AFO in 2007 and has the longest active AFO monitoring system in the country at 110 miles. 

Since late 2022, the AFO system alerted WSSC Water to breaks within the reinforcing steel wires that help maintain the structural integrity of the concrete pipe. Wire breaks are not uncommon within PCCP. When the number of breaks reaches a certain threshold, WSSC Water will proactively replace the pipe. Based on recent AFO data, it was time to replace this section of this pipe before it failed. Thanks to AFO, WSSC Water can make repairs in a controlled environment - greatly reducing the chance of emergency repairs and associated costs.

The Success of AFO for WSSC Water Customers 

• WSSC Water has invested $28.7 million in this cutting-edge technology.
• Since 2007, AFO has avoided 56 costly emergency repairs; including this one.
• Saving customers $100+ million. 
• The estimated emergency repair and restoration costs for PCCP is approximately $2.5 million.
• The estimated cost of replacing PCCP under controlled conditions ranges from approximately $250,000 - $500,000.

For any water or sewer emergency, customers can contact the WSSC Water Emergency Services Center at 301-206-4002.