Pr. George's Water Restrictions Cleared

Last year, the commission saw a record number of water-main breaks: 2,129. So far this year, 1,133 breaks have been reported, McGill said. He said that 50 percent of the system's pipes "will reach or exceed their useful life by 2025." Because of Prince George's County's highly acidic soil, some pipes installed in the 1960s and 1970s are already showing signs of marked deterioration, he said.

Michelle Quander-Collins, spokeswoman for the District's Water and Sewer Authority, which reported 343 water-main breaks in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, said an aging system is a concern there as well. During the next decade, the authority will spend $500 million for water infrastructure improvements. "We've got 1,300 miles of water pipeline through the District, and the median age is 74 years," she said. "We even have some pipeline that is over 100 years old. . . . One line on M Street was installed in 1859."

The Fairfax County Water Authority recorded more than 240 water-main breaks, which is below the annual average for the past seven years, a spokesman said.

In Maryland, then-General Manager Andrew D. Brunhart declared the commission system "dysfunctional" in January. A proposal to raise rates and impose a $20 fee to fund infrastructure improvements was voted down by the commission after a public outcry, officials said. McGill said a committee of representatives from Prince George's and Montgomery counties is looking at ways to pay for improving infrastructure. A recording at the commission complex in Laurel told callers that half of the system's infrastructure will reach the end of its effectiveness by 2025 and encouraged community groups to contact the agency to schedule a meeting to learn more about the aging infrastructure.

The approximate borders of the affected area are Church Road to the east, the Capital Beltway to the west, Ritchie Marlboro Road to the south and Route 50 to the north. Officials estimated that it will cost as much as $40,000 to repair the damage.

Meanwhile, Prince George's residents boiled their water and tried to make the best of an uncertain situation.

"I didn't see any discoloration in my water, but my sister did," said Elaine Murrell of Mitchellville. "I didn't know, except the toilets wouldn't refill after they were flushed and I had low water pressure. Later in the afternoon, my brother called and told me. I found out a lot of people didn't know."

Staff writer Ian Shapira contributed to this report.