Under Pressure

A burst water main in Montgomery County exposes a crumbling infrastructure in need of repair.

THE PIPE THAT broke in upper Montgomery County, disrupting water service and inconveniencing thousands yesterday, should be fixed by the time you read this editorial, according to officials. The larger problem -- an aging water and sewer infrastructure that receives insufficient financial support -- won't be so easy to fix.

The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, which is governed by Montgomery and Prince George's County officials, manages a pipe system more than twice the length of the U.S.-Mexico border. Many of the pipes were installed 70 to 80 years ago and are reaching the limits of their expected service life, according to WSSC officials. If the WSSC doesn't update the infrastructure, problems will persist and costs will balloon. Last year there were a record 2,129 pipe breaks.

But how to proceed? Montgomery officials have pushed a monthly infrastructure fee of $20 per household to start addressing the problem. Prince George's officials don't agree. The WSSC had to raise rates by 8 percent this year just to meet operating costs. The $20 fee, combined with higher rates, would raise quarterly water bills by 50 percent. Even then, the gains would be frustratingly small. The current budget allows for the replacement of 25 miles of pipeline a year. If the $20 fee were levied, that number would barely double, representing less than 1 percent of the entire water system.

Water and sewer infrastructure across the country is in disrepair, according to the American Water Works Association. This may be an argument for federal or state assistance, but it doesn't relieve local officials of responsibility. Prince George's and Montgomery County officials must abandon the bickering that has defined their relationship within the WSSC and find a way to accelerate repairs as soon as possible. A rate increase will be needed, larger than what Prince George's officials have been willing to support but more progressively levied than the household add-on suggested by Montgomery officials.

Until then, residents will be left in the lurch. Yesterday, the disruption forced summer camps to close, restaurants to limit services and residents to boil water, though WSSC officials believe there is a low risk of contamination. For residents who have suffered through a surge in power outages and Metro delays, this is another unwelcome indignity.