Potomac River Hits New Low Temperature for Season Triggering Increase in Water Main Breaks

“The Potomac River temperature is like a crystal ball when predicting a spike in water main breaks in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.”

Per WSSC: The river temperature has dropped about 13 degrees in the past 12 days from 46 to 33 degrees, triggering a significant uptick in the number of water main breaks/leaks. WSSC Water has experienced 166 water main breaks/leaks in the past 12 days – with 82 since Saturday.

Water main breaks tend to increase a few days after the river temperature hits a new low because the colder water takes time to travel through approximately 5,900 miles of water distribution mains.

Aging infrastructure is a critical factor in breaks and leaks. The older pipes are “shocked” by the colder water, causing them to break. Approximately 40 percent of the water mains in WSSC Water’s systems are more than 50 years old.

During a typical year, WSSC Water crews repair more than 1,800 water main breaks and leaks, approximately 65 percent of which (1,152) occur between November and February.

“WSSC Water crews are prepared and ready to handle the increase in water main breaks and leaks we experience when the Potomac River temperatures drop,” said WSSC Water General Manager and CEO Kishia L. Powell. “We appreciate customers’ patience as our crews work long days and nights to restore service under very difficult weather conditions. Our aggressive asset management strategy targets communities with older mains that experience numerous breaks. We will continue to work with our federal, state and local partners to secure necessary funding to invest in our critical infrastructure.”

Water Main Break/Leaks Statistics:

• November 1, 2023 – January 22, 2024: 719 water main breaks/leaks
• January 1- 22, 2024: 234 water main breaks/leaks
• January 20 – 22. 2024: 82 water main breaks/leaks

WSSC Water, serving 1.9 million customers in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties, maintains approximately 5,900 miles of water mains covering a 1,000-square-mile area. With such an extensive, aging distribution system spanning the two counties, WSSC Water encourages customers to report water main breaks and leaks as quickly as possible.

There are three simple ways to report a break:

• Call WSSC Water’s 24/7 Emergency Services Center at 301-206-4002.
• Email WSSC Water’s Emergency Center at [email protected].
• Use  WSSC Water’s Mobile App.