Cold snaps in late winter and early spring keep city crews busy responding to broken water mains. Who are these dedicated employees who are in the trenches at all hours, working to bring water service back online for the Rockville community? Meet the team:
Who’s on the team?
Operations and maintenance assistant superintendents, crew supervisors and utility crews all play vital roles. The assistant superintendents and crew supervisors, including William Hudgins, who has been with the city for 24 years, are certified State of Maryland Water Distribution Operators.
What does the team do when there’s a water leak?
Crews are typically notified of a leak by community members reporting water in the roadway. The city’s 24-hour utility emergency line is 240-314-8567. Similar to the police department, we advocate “if you see something, say something” to help us respond before further damage occurs. Crews are on call 24/7 in any kind of weather, and quickly respond to reports of water leaks. The goal is to minimize water service interruption to less than six hours.
When a leak is reported, a crew supervisor will confirm the leak and notify an assistant superintendent, who provides progress reports to the director of public works and other city staff throughout the repair process. Crews place safety equipment near the leak site to protect workers and keep the public and property safe, and for traffic control. Miss Utility is notified in order to mark underground utilities. Crews use equipment, expertise and experience to locate the leak. They notify affected water customers before isolating the water main by turning off specific valves in an effort to leave as few residents as possible without water.
After excavating to expose the leaking pipe, crews make repairs by using clamps, cutting out and replacing pipe, or another method, depending on the type of leak. After completing the repairs, crews turn water on to flush any contaminants out of the pipe and restore water service. Then they backfill the trench, patch the roadway and clear the site of debris.
Why is the job so important to the city and its infrastructure?
By responding quickly, crews reduce the length of service interruptions to our customers, ensure public health and safety, and prevent potentially costly damage to private property, roads and other infrastructure.