1.9 million WSSC customers in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties received an essential water use warning after a power outage disrupted the Potomac Water Filtration Plant. System pressure fell, treatment capacity dropped, and the utility asked households and businesses to limit consumption until operations stabilized. The incident exposes how a single plant failure can constrain water security for a major metropolitan area.
💡 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Q: Why did WSSC issue an essential water use warning?
- A: A power outage disrupted the Potomac Water Filtration Plant, causing system pressure to fall and treatment capacity to drop, prompting WSSC to ask households and businesses to limit consumption until operations stabilized.
- Q: How many customers were affected by the outage?
- A: Approximately 1.9 million WSSC customers in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties received the water use warning.
- Q: What does the incident reveal about US water infrastructure?
- A: It exposes how a single plant failure can constrain water security for a major metropolitan area, underscoring systemic vulnerability in aging water utilities.