Western Baltimore County Residents Asked to Conserve Water

The Baltimore County Department of Public Works is asking western county residents to conserve water as Baltimore city repairs a major water main. 

Water customers from Reisterstown Road to the Howard County and Anne Arundel County lines are being asked to conserve water, according to a release from the public works department. 

Electronic tests revealed that the 54-inch Southwest Transmission Main—located near Whistler and Wilmarco avenues in the city—has the potential for a catastrophic failure. The water main runs from the Ashburton Water Filtration Plant to Howard and Anne Arundel counties, according to a news release.

Before taking the water main off line, the department will conduct a 48-hour test starting tomorrow to make certain it can provide adequate water while the main is down. Once it's established that water can be provided, the department will begin excavation and the replacement of three 16 feet sections of the main.

"We must be as proactive as possible to avoid catastrophic incidents such as occurred in Dundalk and Halethorpe in 2009. It is our duty to use the best technologies to reveal possible water main weaknesses and to stop them before they can harm people and property. This is an investment in public safety," Public Works Director Alfred Foxx said in the news release.

After the tests, the department will inspect the main to get a full understanding of the problems, and construction could be complete in as little as two weeks—barring any unforeseen circumstances, said Kurt Kocher, a DPW spokesman.

The issues associated with repairing the water main have been complicated because the Northwest water main is currently offline as it is being refurbished. Because of this, the department is asking all residents to conserve water so that it can continue to provide adequate service to all customers.

"[Water conservation] doesn’t mean you can’t do things, it just means do things at an appropriate time," Kocher said.  

The city suggests the following conservation measures:

• Please refrain from outside watering, car washing, power-washing or pool-topping until after sunset or during the early morning hours.
• Please do not wash clothes or dishes, or do non-essential cleaning using water until late in the evening or very early in the morning. 
• Use clothes washers and dishwashers only with full loads.
• Short showers use less water than filling the tub for bathing.
• Report open hydrants.
• Use water wisely.