Published on: Tuesday, November 24, 2009

By Rabiah Alicia Burks, Special to the Sentinel

As of Nov. 1, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission has experienced 1,265 breaks and leaks. That is 240 more than this same time in 2008.  The WSSC warns that winter, the worst season for water main breaks and leakage, quickly approaches.

Rudy Chow, WSSC’s chief of customer care, said that the winter season is their busiest and for a time they may be overcome by a period of breaks, but crews will be able to handle them.

“We want to let our costumers know that we are prepared to take on this task and we’re asking for their patience,” said Chow. 

According to Chow most of the breakage occurs due to the aging infrastructure. “About a quarter of our pipes in our distribution system exceed 50 years of age,” said Chow.

WSSC officials said that, by 2025, nearly half of the pipes will have exceeded their lifespan.

The older pipes are closer to Washington, D.C., in areas such as Chevy Chase, and Bethesda, said Lyn Riggins, a WSSC spokeswoman. This year, they have budgeted to replace 31 miles of pipes for the 2010 fiscal year.

“Unfortunately, if you do the math, that puts us on a 200-year replacement cycle, so we need to figure out the best way to fund it so we can replace more pipes faster,” said Riggins.

WSSC’s budget is currently approved by both Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. “Maybe there is a possible solution in federal funding,” said Riggins. “We’re looking and talking to all agencies trying to find the best way to solve the problem.”

According to the WSSC, January 2009 was the worst month ever, when it experienced 611 breaks and leaks. They experienced 252 of them during inauguration weekend and in the 10-day period between Jan. 16-25, with a total of 424 breaks and leaks.

Despite these numbers, so far 2007 experienced the most breaks and leaks with a total of 2,129.

Chow said WSSC’s crews are equipped with technology, manpower and experience to take on this challenging time. In Prince George’s County and Montgomery County they have over 200 trained staff as well as a number of independent contractors on stand-by if the workload exceeds their abilities internally. 

The WSSC currently serves 1,000 square miles in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties.

 “There are things people can do to help us and help them cope with some of the breaks over the winter,” said Jim Neustadt, director of Communications & Community Development.

The WSSC encourages people to call its 24-hour rapid response phone number, 800-828-6439 or 301-206-4002, to report breaks. He also said people should sign up for WSSC’s Customer Notification System online to receive alerts about breaks that affect service or daily routines.

“We try to get all the breaks fixed within four to six hours and some of them take longer than that, so keep some of those things in mind,” said Neustadt.

Although WSSC is not responsible for pipes in the home, WSSC provides tips on how people can prevent their pipes and water meters from freezing in the winter.

TIPS TO PREVENT PIPES FROM FREEZING

• Repair broken windows, doors and walls.

• Insulate all outside walls as well as pipes and meters.

• Seal leaks in crawl spaces and basements.

• Turn off water to outside faucets; remove hoses and drain inside pipes.

• When pipes do freeze, completely open the cold water faucet closest to the pipe to relieve pressure and reduce the chance of breakage. Use a blow dryer, not a blowtorch, if you plan to thaw frozen pipes yourself.

• Call a plumber when you need help.

— WASHINGTON SUBURBAN SANITARY COMMISSION