By Allison Keyes, WTOP.com
WASHINGTON — You’ve seen the trucks in the streets, with miserable-looking utility workers trying to stem a flood of freezing water gushing out and making an icy mess. It seems it is a hazard of the season.
“It’s tough on water mains,” says Lyn Riggins, spokesperson for WSSC. “Big fluctuations in temperature, all of a sudden colder water than usual moving through the pipes at this time of year, and often pipes are old.”
People should call their water company if they see water running down the street.
“We don’t have a magic board that lights up each time a pipe breaks,” Riggins says.
WSSC has 5,500 miles of water pipe in the ground between Prince George’s and Montgomery counties, and Riggins says with temperatures this cold there will always be breaks.
Last year, WSSC reported an above average year for water main breaks and leaks as technicians repaired 1,958 broken and leaking water mains. The five-year average for breaks and leaks across Prince George’s and Montgomery counties is 1,687. As of Jan. 9, there had already been 66 breaks in 2015.
But there are some things customers should know. First of all, they can call WSSC at 301-206-4002 to report a break, or download the agency’s mobile app. If you send a picture, Riggins says, it tells dispatchers where the problem is so they can send someone out.
Report broken water mains via WSSC Mobile http://t.co/IampMghKux or call us 301-206-4002
— WSSC Water News (@WSSCWaterNews) January 10, 2015
Second of all, it is not uncommon for customers to see discolored water once a broken main has been repaired, because sediment can be stirred up in the pipes when there’s been a lot of work done.
“Just run your cold water for five minutes and it’s flushed out,” Riggins says. If the problem continues, call in and WSSC will send someone out.
Homeowners worried about keeping their own pipes from freezing or bursting should leave a faucet running, preferably on the highest level in the house, on a slow drip to keep water moving through so they don’t freeze. But Riggins says if a pipe breaks on your property and it is indoors, WSSC can’t help you. You’ll need to call a plumber.
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