Some Hagerstown water customers urged fill bathtubs, water bottles ahead of big repair

Dave McMillion, The Herald-Mail
·2 min read

Hagerstown officials say they're going to try again to repair one of their main water lines this weekend, and they're recommending customers take special precautions to prepare.

City officials tried recently to repair the line for the R.C. Willson Water Treatment Plant near Williamsport. But they hit pause on the work when they ran into issues with aging values.

On Thursday, the city announced it will shut down the plant late Friday night so the valves can be closed in order to repair the line.

What should I do to prepare for the shutdown?

Customers in Zone 1, which straddles Halfway Boulevard east of Wesel Boulevard, and those who are in higher elevations and closest to the plant "should prepare to be impacted," with reduce water pressure or an interruption of service, according to a release from the city.

This satellite image shows Zone 1, which is the area that will be most affected by the Hagerstown Water Division's work to fix a 24-inch water transmission main on Bottom Road in Williamsport.
This satellite image shows Zone 1, which is the area that will be most affected by the Hagerstown Water Division's work to fix a 24-inch water transmission main on Bottom Road in Williamsport.

To prepare, the city is recommending customers fill bathtubs with water and to bottle water since the repair is expected to take about eight hours.

"As a result of the shutdown and repair work, some customers may detect discoloration in their water supply.  The issue is typically temporary, and can be remedied by allowing the cold water (and cold water only) to run until the water clears," according to the release.

Previously: Hagerstown regroups on water line repair plan

Customers who encounter problems should call the city's water distribution office at 301-739-8577, and use extensions 680 and 690, during normal working hours.

After hours, customers should call 301-223-7424, according to the release.

Is this the only water problem Hagerstown is facing?

The aging R.C. Willson plant, which draws water from the Potomac River just outside of Williamsport, has become a concern recently.

'A community problem': County's future water demands expected to cost up to $100 million

Last month, about 25 city and county officials met to discuss challenges at the plant, especially in light of projected growth in the county in coming years. Besides serving the city, the plant also provides much of the county's water.

Officials said during the meeting that the plant's primary lines are fragile and too small to handle increased volumes of water. Repairs to the system could run at least $80 million, officials said.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Hagerstown will try again Friday to make a repair on main water line