WSSC meeting at Mattaponi about water towers & water/sewer pipe replacement
Phil Woodruff of Rosaryville Citizens & Community Association & PGCCF Foundation sponsored meeting.
Wayne Morris is project manager for sewer (Sr3) project.
Simon Baidoo is project manager for proposed water tanks in this area for water storage. Denice Funk made presentation. Have existing Clinton & Accokeek tank – Clinton supplies to Accokeek but is not tied to northern areas. System is to maintain water needs. Current growth projections which increases demand up to 2040.
3 purposes:
- maintain pressure (equalization storage),
- Fire Fighting, &
- Emergency Reserve (system problem like main break).
Existing storage is 4.0 MG in 385B zone (Greater Clinton). Proposing 2 new tanks to add 6.5 MG – one in east (Rosaryville/Croom area) & one in south (Brandywine). Tank elevation has to be 200 ft. & since needs 385 total ft., chose 185 ft. ground elevation sites, then had to consider other characteristics of sites – there were 4 sites considered. Tanks have concrete support or steel or combination. Cost for new development will cover it; it won’t raise rates. Developers support needed infrastructure. They monitor quality & distribution. 360 water samples taken per month.
Resident asked about residue on clean dish drainage rack. Karen answered that it could be iron from old pipes.
South tank (in Brandywine) should be ready by 2017. The east tank (near Duley Rd. in Croom/Cheltenham) will depend on rate of growth. They haven’t bought a site yet – looking around Dyson Rd on west of 301.
Joe Brice, of PGCCF, asked why we don’t see these water tanks in the city. It was explained that we’re at the end of the system, so we need more pressure. Elevated storage helps us the close to the tank we are during an emergency. Also we’re at a lower sea level than Montgomery Co.
South tank sites: SHA site but there may be road work, 2 sites off Brandywine & Dyson in woods near access road from rt. 5, the other near Jenny Rd. – see WSSC web site for Clinton Zone Water Storage. Have photographic representation of what tanks might look like on each site.
Sewer repair, replacement, & rehabilitation (Sr3) program (interactive map) – working in Piscataway Creek Basin. The infrastructure is old & there’s been some overflow. Deadline is 2015. Pipes in streams include restoring streams.
They give a percentage of business/jobs to locals. They notify local residents & are doing weekly outreach. They try to minimize impacts. They have to get permits. They post area to mark it for identification.
On page 11 of handout for Piscataway Creek stats, shows area is from Camp Springs & Upper Marlboro to Accokeek & Brandywine and where manhole covers are. Fixing & replacing pipeline & manholes.
Another public meeting scheduled for Feb 27 at Surratts-Clinton Memorial Library 6:30 – 8:30 PM more information here and Feb. 28 at Stephen Decatur Middle School more information here.
Residents reported that part of creek is in his front yard, a piece of equipment was left in his yard for months and when removed, they replaced soil with rocks; complaints were needed for these careless contractors. Form says they can do anything they want any time they want. He was told they wouldn’t do that, but he wanted it in writing & he hasn’t been able to get it. He’ll treat their presence as trespassing. WSSC said they have inspectors following up on contractors.
1900 people got the same letter & some people had people knocking on their door. The forms residents are being asked to sign are too vague about what and when work will be done. The forms are for “right of entry” and the back of form can be modified for each property, though language on front seems to give them carte blanche. People can contact Derrick Clark, of WSSC who manages those forms, about it. He says you can edit the form and put conditions on the back and they’ll take it to their legal team to see if they can use it.
Residents want more specific information about what will happen in their yard. People have had their yards destroyed by WSSC & never repaired. The current WSSC management is different & they can individualize the forms. They know the actual design of project and can tell the resident what will be done on each property. Contact Wayne Morris 301-206-8536.
More WSSC web sites:
