As temperatures continue to dip below freezing in Montgomery County and the surrounding areas, elected officials are raising concerns about whether the county’s water pipe infrastructure can handle the frigid weather.
“The reality is, most of our water comes from the Potomac River, and when the Potomac starts to freeze, it causes most of the problems for our sewer system,” councilmember and Transportation and Environment Committee chair Evan Glass (D-At-large) told Bethesda Today on Friday. “Sewer policy is not sexy, but it is critically important.”
WSSC Water, a utility that serves 1.9 million customers across Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, put out an “essential water use only” advisory last week, urging its customers to only use water for essential purposes due to frigid temperatures causing an increase in water main breaks and leaks. While the advisory was lifted after one day, WSSC is warning of future challenges as temperatures continue to drop in the winter months…