WSSC Lifts Water Restrictions Necessitated by Water Main Break in Chevy Chase

Mandatory water restrictions necessitated by a massive water main break in Chevy Chase Monday were lifted at around 6 p.m. on Saturday, according to a Montgomery County email alert.

The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission lifted the water restrictions—which asked residents of Montgomery and Prince George's counties to reduce water consumption by 10 percent—following the completion of repair work to the broken 60-inch-in-diameter main. The restrictions were in place for four and a half days.

The ruptured main is back in service, "but restoration of the area, including roadway, sidewalk, removal of damaged trees and work on the stream bed near the break, will take weeks," the alert reported.

The additional work will require the right-hand, northbound lane of Connecticut Avenue to remain closed near the water main break, near the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Chevy Chase Lake Drive.

About 60 million gallons of water were lost from the water main break, Patch reported. The water restrictions were necessary to make sure that there was enough water in reserve for fire protection and medical services.

The cause of the water main break is still under investigation.

The Washington Post reported that a Chevy Chase resident noticed "water squirting up from an opening in a circular metal plate embedded in Chevy Chase Lake Drive" about seven hours before the water main break Monday. An inspector found what he thought was a leak in the valve, and determined that it could wait until the morning.

The Post also reported that the broken pipe was made by Interpace, a defunct company in New Jersey that "the WSSC and other utilities successfully sued for flaws that left the pipes more prone to breaking." Most of WSSC's 350 miles of concrete water mains were made by Interpace, Jim Neustadt, a WSSC spokesman, told The Post.