Broken Water Main Creates Geyser in Maryland

A broken water main shot water dozens of feet into the air Wednesday in Montgomery County, Md.

The 24-inch water main broke in the 10800 block of Deep Glen Road at about 3:30 p.m.  Marylou Berg, a spokeswoman for the city of Rockville, which owns the pipe, said the water stopped flowing at about 10 p.m.

The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission responded first. The city of Rockville was alerted at about 5:45 p.m.

Though it was an impressive geyser, it didn't pose risks like the River Road break of December 2008, News4's Jackie Bensen reported. Some people needed to be rescued from that stream of water.

Nor was this the failing main that caused usage restrictions in Prince George's and Montgomery counties over the holiday weekend.

Until police closed the road, motorists braved the geyser and drove past.

The city has issued outdoor water usage restrictions through at least noon Saturday because of the break:

  • Stop all outside water use
  • Limit indoor water use
  • Limit flushing of toilets
  • Fill up washing machines and dishwashers before using them

Stay with NBCWashington.com and News4 for updates as they become available.


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