Community Corner
Report: Old, Concrete Pipes in Montgomery County More Likely to Burst
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission has 350 miles of piping prone to bursting, including two in Gaithersburg's Crown development.
This article was written and reported by Patch editor Whitney Teal.
The March 18 water main break that sent 60 million gallons of water gushing through the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Chevy Chase Lake Drive in Chevy Chase wasn't exactly an anomaly, according to an article in The Washington Post.
The main in question is of a brand and design notorious for bursting, The Post reported. The Chevy Chase main is part of Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission's 350-mile system of concrete pipes—a significant portion of the total system's piping.
Concerns have been raised about aging water main pipes in Gaithersburg's new Crown development.
Two potentially dangerous pipes have been identified in the Decoverly Drive area of the development, and the city continues to work towards a solution.
Replacing the pipes, most of which were installed in the 1970s, would cost nearly $3 billion. Newer pipes in the area are made of steel, the newspaper reported.
Read more about the area's piping at The Washington Post's website.
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