The residents of Montgomery and Prince George’s counties were under an urgent essential-water-use-only request from Tuesday, January 27 and remains in effect as continued through the weekend.
This was due to the high number of water main breaks the system
was experiencing threatening water pressure. Usually, WSSC can allow leaks to
be left in place without disrupting customer service or overall system
operations and get to them when they can. However in the recent cold snap following
winter storm Fern, this approach could not work. To maintain system pressure,
WSSC Water inspectors had to shut down broken/leaking mains before dispatching
repair crews to the break to keep system pressures stable.
WSSC Water reported a sharp increase in water main breaks
and leaks in late 2025 and early 2026, largely attributed to extreme cold
temperatures affecting the Potomac River and the utility's aging
infrastructure.
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| from WSSC website |
During Fiscal Year 2025, WSSC Water recorded 2,259 breaks and leaks. This was an significant increase (over 33%) from the 1,697 reported in FY 2024.WSSC typically averages nearly 1,800 breaks and leaks annually, making the FY 2025 count well above average.
During the current winter season, since November 1, 2025
until January 31, 2026, crews have responded to 906 breaks and leaks. From
January 1-31, 2026, WSSC crews had responded to 360 breaks and leaks. This
finally resulted in the "Essential-Water-Use-Only" request
due to the high volume of active breaks and leaks (approximately 48 reported on
January 31 alone.
While the spike in breaks is triggered by extreme weather,
WSSC Water and system observers point to a combination of aging materials and
historic funding gaps as causing the current crisis. Over 40%
of the 5,977 miles of water mains are more than 50 years old. Many consist
of brittle cast iron or unlined pipes installed between 1916 and 1976
that are reaching or have exceeded their design lifespan.
The replacement rate, which is currently planned at 33
miles per year is insufficient for a system with 5,977 miles of pipe. That
would be a system replacement every 181 years. While 33 miles was the target replacement
rate, WSSC has actually replaced 22-25 miles of water pipe annually since 2018.
Bringing the system replacement time span to over 200 years. No set of pipes
will last that long. WSSC will experience increasing pipe failure.
WSSC Water faces high levels of debt
service (roughly 33% of total expenses) and water consumption that has
remained "flat" for decades, which limits revenue. To address this,
the utility proposed a $4.8 billion six-year Capital Improvements
Program (CIP) for FY 2026–2031. In the Strategic Plan (FY 2025–2027) WSSC stated that they
plan to prioritize asset replacement based on maintenance history, soil
conditions, and pipe material rather than age alone. They have also begun
using zinc-coated ductile iron pipe, which is designed to last 100 years.
The FY 2026 budget will be impacted by the costs allocated
to WSSC from repair and remediation from the collapsed section of the Potomac
Interceptor, sanitary sewer line that collapsed on January 19 and overflowed
into the Potomac River for 10 days releasing 400-600 million gallons of raw
sewage into the Potomac River. DC Water reports that at the end of January
that the collapse site now isolated from
the river using a section of the C&O Canal and work has begun to clearing
the blockage in the damaged pipe section to allow the repairs to begin. As work
progresses at the site, the environmental assessment and cleanup must also begin.
DC Water is performing water quality sampling and surveying the areas impacted
by the overflow into the Potomac, working in coordination with federal, state,
and local partners to evaluate environmental effects and determine appropriate
remediation measures.
The full cost of cleanup and remediation is still being
determined. DC Water will share the expenses with their wholesale sewage customers—WSSC
Water, Loudoun County, and Fairfax County—in proportion to their allocated
pipe capacity for their sewage that is treated at Blue Plains.
In 2025, the "WSSC Planning and Reporting Act
of 2025" was signed into law aimed to improve asset management
standards and restore service reliability. The law mandates several critical
milestones intended to reform the utility's management and oversight:
- Independent
Review: WSSC Water must coordinate with the Department of
Legislative Services to hire a third-party consultant to
evaluate the utility's efficiency, sustainability, and budgeting
processes.
- Reporting
(October 1, 2027): The Office of Program Evaluation and
Government Accountability must report its findings and recommendations to
the General Assembly by this date.
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