PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md.
On Monday, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission warned residents in Prince George’s County (just outside of Washington D.C.) of an impending emergency water outage due to the failure of a 4 ½ foot main inside the Capital Beltway. The water shut-off –which could last up to four days–is expected to affect more than 100,000 residents, and potentially shut down hotels and other businesses in the area.
According to a recent update by The Washington Post the city has been working around-the-clock to provide conservation efforts to delay the water outage. Utility officials are saying that water supplies could now last until later this afternoon. The newspaper also reported “store shelves have been stripped bare in some places” as residents stock up on bottled water and other supplies.
More information and live updates can be found on The Washington Post’s website.
UPDATE: Officials announced Wednesday afternoon that the crisis had been averted by diverting water from another part of the system, which will allow Prince George's County residents to have uninterrupted water service.
