Per Montgomery County: WSSC Water’s is now accepting applications for its 2023 Commissioners Engineering Scholarships for undergraduate or graduate engineering students. Graduating high school seniors accepted into a collegiate engineering program also are eligible to apply. Winners of the scholarships receive $2,000 per year and up to $8,000 over four consecutive years.
The scholarships are open to students with permanent residency in Montgomery or Prince George’s counties enrolled in a fulltime college or university engineering program. The application deadline is Monday, April 17.
Two $2,000 annual scholarships—one for a student from each county—can be awarded. Recipients are eligible for additional $2,000 awards for up to four consecutive years, including post-graduate studies in engineering.
Applicants must submit an essay as part of their application. They can choose one of three topics to write a 500- to 1,000-word essay. The topics are:
- The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law delivers more than $50 billion through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to improve our nation’s drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure—the single largest investment in water the Federal government has ever made. If you were WSSC Water and applied for this funding, what types of projects would you spend it on and why?
- If you were General Manager/Chief Executive Officer for WSSC Water, how would you ensure racial equity and social justice were part of project selection for infrastructure projects?
- The water sector continues to face increasing pressures to fix aging infrastructure without increasing customer costs. Innovation and technology play a vital role in helping utilities meet these goals. What technological advances or innovative solutions would you adopt at WSSC Water to address the challenge of aging infrastructure without breaking the bank?
In addition to the essay, applicants must include an introductory video and proof of residency in WSSC Water’s service district.
Details and application requirements are available at wsscwater.com/scholarship.
According to WSSC, “Equipment & materials for the repair will be at the site shortly. The pipe is 71 yrs old. All lanes open now but right SB lane just north of Strathmore Ave will be closed soon. Dropping river temps = increase in water main breaks. Thx 4 ur patience.” and “TRAFFIC ALERT: Rockville Pike right SB lane is closed b/w Golf Lane & Strathmore Rd. Pls take is slow in the work zone!”
8 AM Update: At approximately 6:15am on Thursday morning, The MoCoShow received a tweet from Alexis Reed reporting a water main break on Rockville Pike near Georgetown Prep. WSSC Water responded at 7:18am via Twitter stating that they “have crews working to shut off the water and will make repairs ASAP.” At 7:09am, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) PIO Pete Piringer tweeted that there is a water main break on Rockville Pike and Strathmore Avenue, in the area of Georgetown Prep, with some lanes blocked. Video below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CmeGON8Agby/
10AM WSSC Update: “We are working as quickly as possible to minimize the impact of the Clopper Rd water main break. We know this is frustrating. We have been evaluating options on this stretch of pipe since the last break. At this moment, the focus is to make repairs and restore service.”
Clopper Rd at Mateny Rd in Germantown is currently closed due to a broken water main. According to the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management, “Both directions of Clopper Rd (MD 117) are closed between Mateny Rd and Cinnamon Dr for emergency utility work. This closure will likely last several hours. Seek an alternate route.” Clopper Rd was last closed due to a water main break/sink hole back on November 15. We will post an update when more information becomes available.
TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Clopper Road is closed between Mateny Road and Cinnamon Drive as the result of a water main break. Drivers are advised to seek an alternate route. Expect significant delays. #MCPD #MCPNews #Traffic #TrafficAlert pic.twitter.com/DNCaCqAS94
— Montgomery County Department of Police (@mcpnews) December 16, 2022
Both directions of Clopper Rd (MD 117) are closed between Mateny Rd and Cinnamon Dr for emergency utility work. This closure will likely last several hours. Seek an alternate route. #MdTraffic
— Montgomery Co OEMHS (@ReadyMontgomery) December 16, 2022
The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) will soon begin the next phase of a water main replacement project in Chevy Chase. Crews have already replaced water mains under portions of Brookeville Road (MD-186) and several residental streets in Chevy Chase Section Three and The Village of Chevy Chase Section 5.
Crews will be working along Connecticut Avenue throughout the rest of December and January. Approximately 800 feet of water main will be replace, underneath Connecticut Avenue between Rosemary and Thornapple Streets (North of Bradley Lane and South of East–West Highway). According to an Upcoming Project Activity Notice published by WSSC, crews will be working overnight, between 9PM and 5AM, to complete the water main replacement underneath Connecticut Avenue.
Once the water main replacement is complete, crews will then restore the roadway pavement, sidewalks, and landscaping. The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission operates more than 5,800 miles of water mains crisscrossing underneath Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties.
WSSC is at the scene of a water main break at Elm St and 44th St in Chevy Chase.
Chief Spokesperson for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Pete Piringer reports that MCFRS is checking nearby homes for any hazards.
There is high water in the roads and some lanes are currently blocked.
We will post an update when more information becomes available.
Per the Montgomery Village News:
“In a public meeting on October 26, representatives from WSSC Water relayed they will be preforming a water main replacement project along Montgomery Village Avenue that will last approximately 2 years. This is part of WSSC Water’s current mission to strategically replace and rehabilitate aging water and sewer infrastructure in the service area, enhancing service and reliability to their customers.
The pipes to be replaced span .97 miles along Montgomery Village Avenue from Midcounty Highway to Centerway Road, and include entrances to Lake Shore Drive, Stedwick Road, Whetstone Drive and Centerway Road. The current pipes were installed in the 1960s and are nearing their end-of-life cycle. Replacing these pipes will help reduce future disruptions from water main breaks. The new ductile iron pipes have a corrosion protection which provides a life expectancy of 100 years on the new installation.
The project is expected to begin in January 2022 and is anticipated to be compete in January 2024. All work will be performed between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. with road lane closures between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. In the event that both lanes on the southbound side of Montgomery Village Avenue are closed, traffic will be routed in both directions on the opposite northbound side. Its is estimated that 200 to 300 feet or less of roadway will be closed at any given time.
Within the scope of the project are the installation of new water mains and new service lines up to the property line. Residences may experience water shut offs up to 8 hours; advanced notice (48 to 72 hours) will be given to affected property owners. WSSC Water noted that reliable water and sewer service will be maintained during construction, and property owners will always have access to their properties. Interior home access and access to private property are not required for this work. Parking restrictions may be put in place in a work area during any given day; advance notice will also be provided for these disruptions.”
For more information, contact WSSC Water Design Project Manager Ling Li at 301-206-8745 or e-mail [email protected]. To view the meeting presentation, visit www.wsscwater.com/sites/default/files/2021-10/Montgomery%20Village%20Ave%20WMR_BT6496A18_Community%20Meeting.pdf.
Original article: https://mvnews.online/articles/view/578
A water main break late this morning has now closed Dufief Drive, near the area of Dufief Elementary School, between Darnestown Road and Brandyhall Lane.
WSSC Water crews are now on the scene of the 12” break, which was the cause of Dufief Elementary School closing at noon today.
Video of the water main break can be seen below.
Update – Dufief Dr BLOCKED Between Route 28 Darnestown Rd. and Brandyhall Lane, 12” water main break @WSSCWaterNews crew on scene, road closed https://t.co/vgWOKzizYH pic.twitter.com/DCSwVq4jJt
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) October 14, 2021
According to a WSSC spokesperson, the overflow from the collapsed sewer pipe near 9240 Vendome Drive in Bethesda that began Friday was stopped at 11:10 am on Saturday.
The total volume of the overflow is estimated to be in excess of 10,000 gallons. They are still investigating the cause, and vandalism is a possibility.
“We found a lot of rocks inside a manhole, which possibly caused the blockage. We have seen this in the past. Vandals remove a manhole cover and throw rocks inside”, according to WSSC.
There we’re also a tremendous amount of wipes at the overflow site. WSSC is stressing for residents to “Keep the Wipes Out of the Pipes” and to only flush the three Ps… pee, poop and paper (toilet paper). Wipes don’t break up like toilet paper and can cause blockages, leading to an overflow.
Update on Broken Sewer Main in Germantown That Released over 10,000 Gallons of Sewage into Seneca Creek
This past Friday it was reported that a sewer pipe had collapsed behind the homes on Porterfield Way in Germantown.
According to WSSC, 10,000+ gallons of sewage was making its way into Seneca Creek. The collapse likely occurred because of an unusual buildup of corrosive gases.
WSSC has posted several updates on their Twitter page, explaining that a 1,000 foot access road must be built through the wooded terrain in order to safely move equipment to the damaged sewer draining.
Before actual repairs to the damaged sewer main in #Germantown can begin, A LOT of prep work needs happen to get the equipment in place…including building a 1,000-foot access road through wooded terrain to safely move equipment to the location of the damaged sewer main. pic.twitter.com/m2p1G1vpAb
— WSSC Water (@WSSCWaterNews) September 28, 2021
Sewer Pipe Collapses in Germantown, More Than 10,000 Gallons of Sewage Has Been Released
“Flushable” Wipes Cause Sanitary Sewer Overflow in Silver Spring
WSSC Water Crews Quickly Respond and Stop the Overflow (Drinking Water System Not Impacted)
Per WSSC:
WSSC Water crews quickly responded to and stopped a Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) in a heavily wooded area of the 300 block of Hillsboro Drive in Silver Spring. The SSO began at approximately 7:10 p.m. on Tuesday (4/20/21) and ended at 12:10 p.m. today. The total volume of the overflow is 10,200 gallons of untreated wastewater.
An excessive number of “flushable” wipes clogged the sewer main, causing untreated wastewater to overflow from a nearby manhole into a nearby creek.
Many companies market personal hygiene wipes as “flushable,” however these products do not break down and disintegrate in the sewer system like toilet paper. The accumulation of these wipes causes blockages in sewer mains. Wastewater then overflows from manholes, often running into streams and rivers, which lead to the Chesapeake Bay.
The 12-inch diameter sewer pipe that was clogged with wipes is in a stream bed located in a densely wooded area. All repair equipment, including bypass pumps, had to be carried to the site by hand. Crews set up a temporary bypass pumping operation to move the wastewater around the clogged section of pipe.
Signs have been posted alerting residents to avoid the area while repairs are made and the wipes hauled away. Impacted areas were treated with hydrated lime.
It is important to note that the water and wastewater systems are separate. This overflow is NOT affecting WSSC Water’s drinking water.
WSSC Water has made appropriate notifications to the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Montgomery County Health Department.
