Water restriction remains in place after power restored to WSSC Potomac plant
WSSC Water limits remain in place after disruption; no foul play involved
WSSC Water is asking 1.9 million customers in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties to continue conserving water after an electrical issue caused disruptions at a plant.
LAUREL, Md. - Nearly 2 million people in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties are being asked to continue conserving water after a major electrical issue disrupted operations at a Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) Water plant for most of Tuesday.
What we know:
A power outage at the Potomac Water Filtration Plant prompted the urgent request early Tuesday.
Around 5:30 p.m., WSSC officials said power was restored, but production must be refilled and stabilized before the request can be lifted.
The backstory:
On Tuesday night, officials ruled out serious concerns.
"All indications are that this was the result of an infrastructure failure, and there are no indications, I repeat, no indications that this is a cyberattack or the fault of a bad actor," said David McDonough, WSSC Water Deputy General Manager.
Officials said the plant, which supplies drinking water to approximately 75% of WSSC Water customers, is fed by two electrical feeds, one of which was down on Tuesday while Pepco conducted maintenance.
The second feed, which was providing all of the power to the plant, failed around 4:30 a.m. and could not be restored. That feed had been down for maintenance and was restored around noon.
The hope was that, with the restoration, the plant would resume normal operations. However, an internal electrical issue prevented the plant from restarting.
Normal operations resumed around 3:45 p.m.
WSSC Water shares update after disruptions at Potomac plant
WSSC Water shared an update after disruptions at a plant in Potomac prompted a request for Montgomery and Prince George’s County customers to restrict water use.
Officials said there is a ramp-up period. The process of refilling the system with water from the Potomac River continued on Tuesday night.
The essential-water-use-only request will remain in effect until the distribution system stabilizes.
"Full production does not mean the risk is over," McDonough said. "System storage was drawn down significantly, and it will take some time to replenish. Until storage recovers and electric service at the plant returns to normal, the risk of low pressure, loss of water services, and a boil water advisory remain for customers across the service, but no change in service is imminent."
What you can do:
Until further notice, customers are urged to conserve water by taking shorter showers and turning off faucets promptly. Outdoor water use, including lawn irrigation systems, is prohibited. WSSC Water also advises residents to limit flushing toilets and minimize the use of washing machines and dishwashers.
Officials emphasized that the water remains safe to drink and does not require boiling before essential use.
If all goes to plan, officials hope customers can resume regular water use before lunch on Wednesday.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission.