Power Outages Are Affecting a Number of WSSC Facilities

[Howard Hartman]

Power Outages Are Affecting a Number of WSSC Facilities

*** 5:30 a.m. Update ***

LAUREL- August 28, 2011: The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) has the following update of operational issues due to Hurricane Irene:

The Western Branch Wastewater Treatment Plant at 6600 Crain Highway in Upper Marlboro lost power about 3:45 a.m. today as a result of Hurricane Irene. Generators are providing some power to the plant but it is not fully operational. An undetermined amount of diluted sewage is overflowing at the facility.

The Broad Creek Wastewater Pumping Station at 10315 Livingston Road in Ft. Washington continues to fully operate on generators after losing power about 10:00 p.m. on Saturday. The pumping station continues to overflow as a result of the excessive rain. It is unclear at this point how much diluted sewage is overflowing.

Power was restored to the Piscataway Wastewater Treatment Plant at 11 Farmington Road in Accokeek about 2:00 a.m. today. The facility lost power about 10:00 p.m. on Saturday. An undetermined amount of diluted sewage overflowed while the plant was without power.

Notifications have been made to the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Prince George’s County Health Department. WSSC crews will post signs in the area once it is safe to be outside.

WSSC’s two water filtration plants continue to operate.

A number of other water and wastewater pumping stations throughout the WSSC system are also without power at this hour.

We will continue to update our website as new information becomes available.