[RP TownTalk] update on water restrictions, with more details (e.g., will last four days)

Thu Jul 1 15:00:17 UTC 2010

July 1, 2010 - 10:36am

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  LAUREL, Md. - Mandatory water restrictions are in effect for all customers
of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission now that the utility has
detected that a 96-inch water main is failing.

WSSC says the main is near the corner of Tuckerman Lane and Gainsborough
Road in Potomac.

Customers in Montgomery and Prince George's county should do the following:

   - Don't use water outside. Don't water your lawn. Don't wash your car.
   Don't top off your pool.

   - Use water only as necessary.

   - Don't flush after every time you use the toilet. Limit your flushing.

   - Limit use of your washing machines and dishwashers to full loads only.

 The restrictions are expected to last four days.

You can be cited for ignoring the restrictions. State law allows citations
to be issued.

The restrictions are needed to ensure there is a continued water supply for
customers, as well as for fire departments and hospitals over the Fourth of
July holiday weekend.

"We know this is a burden, especially on this holiday weekend. But if
everyone can be vigilant and cut their water use by a third, we'll be OK,"
Johnson says.

WSSC discovered the problem, thanks to a fiber optic system installed three
years ago in the pipe.

"This technology, an acoustic fiber optic monitoring system, detected the
problem, allowing us to take preventative measures now," says General
Manager Jerry N. Johnson, in a news release.

"This proves the system works and helped us to prevent what could have been
a much more serious situation."

WSSC has 460,000 customer accounts in Prince George's and Montgomery
counties.

*WTOP's Kate Ryan contributed to this report. Follow Kate on
Twitter<http://twitter.com/kryan1035>
.*

(Copyright 2010 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)
 LAUREL, Md. - Mandatory water restrictions are in effect for all customers
of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission now that the utility has
detected that a 96-inch water main is failing.