Md. Seeks Federal Funding to Repair Water Pipes

Maryland officials this morning made a case for spending a portion of a federal economic recovery package on the local water and sewer infrastructure, a priority underscored by the December water main break that stranded motorists on River Road in Bethesda.

The aging 5,500-mile water distribution system maintained by the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission has sprung 4,000 breaks and leaks in the past two years, with 252 such incidents during a chilly inauguration weekend. The WSSC estimates it needs $75 million.

U.S. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said repairing the pipes will be a top priority for the state's congressional delegation as Congress takes up the massive stimulus bill this week.

"Senator Mikulski and I are here to say that help is on the way," Van Hollen said, speaking to workers and reporters at the utility's Lyttonsville Service Center in Silver Spring.

The House version of the recovery bill, which passed earlier this month, included $19 billion for water and environmental projects nationwide. The legislators said they would fight to make sure Maryland gets its share.

With its current funding, the sanitary commission replaces about 25 miles of pipe a year, a schedule that would require two centuries to retool the entire system. A $20 monthly fee for every customer was proposed as a way to raise funds for repairs, but the representatives from Montgomery and Prince George's counties who make up the commission decided not to assess it.