Updated February 2023
With construction scheduled to start in October 2023, WSSC will undertake a multi-year project to replace the water mains throughout Parkwood. We will try and keep this page updated with the latest information relevant to the community, however, the latest communication you have received from WSSC will have the most up-to-date information.
WSSC has produced the video below to demonstrate what is involved in their water main replacement project when it reaches a neighbourhood.
video produced by WSSC Water
The work being done in Parkwood is divided into two separate WSSC projects:
Project No. BR7271A22. This project occurs in the 20895 section of Parkwood. It includes the streets north of Saul Rd. (but not including Saul) up to Dresden St and Parkwood Dr. from Saul Rd. to Westbrook La. (see the WSSC Project map below).
Current Status of this project. As of February 2023, the design phase of this project is completed. Construction is estimated to start in October 2023.
map from WSSC mailing
Project No. BR7270A22. This project occurs in the 20814 section of Parkwood. It includes the streets south of Saul Rd. (including Saul) to Parkwood Dr. (ending at Delmont Ln.).
Current Status of this project. As of February 2023, this project is finalizing the design phase which is estimated to be completed by August 2023.
WSSC Contacts and Phone numbers
The WSSC project manager for both Parkwood projects is Darcy Male. Darcy can be contacted at (301) 206 7141 or by email at Darcy.Male@wsscwater.com. Please refer to the relevant Project No. in all communications.
All information on this page is collected from WSSC mailings and the WSSC website.
Additional Information Obtained from Exchanges with WSSC Project Manager
Subject: Possible parking restrictions and access on one-way narrow streets
Question From Suzanne Borden, Parkwood Resident
Do you have any ideas about how WSSC will handle a one-way narrow street like Crestwood? There’s not enough room for work crews and parked vehicles plus traffic to go down the street and most of us do not have driveways. Will the entire one-way block be shutdown throughout the project? And if so, is there an estimate how much time an entire street will take? I hope there will be some thought given to how we access our houses on a one-way street and where all of our cars will need to be parked and for how long.
Reply from Darcy Male, WSSC Project Manager
Thank you for reaching out regarding the water main replacement project. I have provide more information regarding traffic control and construction timeline below.
Traffic will be managed by the construction contractor to minimize community disruptions. WSSC will provide a 48-hour advance notice prior to any parking restrictions. These “No Parking” signs will state the days and times there will be no parking permitted for construction activities (typically weekdays from 9AM to 5PM). The restricting of parking on narrows streets like Crestwood Road allows the crew to safely work on the water main installation by allowing controlled traffic flow. This setup will avoid the need to block off the street entirely to residents during construction and follows Montgomery County’s Department of Transportation Temporary Traffic Control Standards.
The project is currently broken down into 5 segments of construction. While the order of each construction segment will not be determined until closer to the start of construction, WSSC estimates each segment to take approximately 6 months to complete. Progress letters will be sent to residents throughout the entire construction process.
WSSC is scheduling a community meeting in the months leading up to the start of construction. All residents affected by the project are requested to attend the virtual meeting where will go into greater details regarding the timeline of construction as well as answer any questions.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Follow-up Question from Suzanne Borden
Thank you for your quick response. So does this mean I should expect that I will not be able to park near my house from 9-5 for about 6 months?
Reply from DARCY MALE, WSSC Project Manager
I apologize for not clarifying. While each segment is anticipated to take 6 months to complete, this is the start to finish schedule. The construction sequence includes multiple steps that do not require the road to be excavated. Parking restrictions are only necessary when the contractor is excavating to install new water main, valves, fittings, and appurtenances. I will have to refer to the contractor for more information on when parking restrictions will be placed and if it’s for the entire segment or a few streets at a time. I don’t foresee the parking restrictions lasting more than a few weeks, but it might be depending on the schedule and weather. I would like to confirm the parking restrictions plan of action before sharing that information with residents, but I will make sure to include this information in the community meeting.
Subject: Is this project really needed
Resident Bill Jackson asked whether this replacement project was really needed, give the number of times recently that water mains have been repaired.
Reply from Darcy Male, WSSC Project Manager
From our records the water mains included within the limits of this project were installed between 1924 and 1959. We have seen some scenarios where the underground utilities were installed a significant amount of time before houses were constructed.
From our records we see that portions of the water mains have been rehabilitated with cement lining in varying stages between 1943 and 1998. While this type of rehabilitation helps prolong the expected life of cast iron water mains, WSSC is committed to replace aging infrastructure. We also see in our records that there have been a significant number of water main breaks in the neighborhood since the 1990s, most recently in 2022. These breaks are either replaced with ductile iron pipe or repaired with a clamp. The number of breaks within the limits of this project are the main reason WSSC’s planning department prioritized this project.
The overall goal of the project is to excavate and replace all existing cast iron water pipes with ductile iron pipes. The design also includes upsizing existing 6” diameter pipes to 8” diameter pipes and installing new fire hydrants at closer spacing so as to meet modern-day fire code requirements for fire flow and hydrant spacing.
While all utilities have an understanding to share upcoming projects so as to avoid conflicts, it has become a problem that has escalated for WSSC not just in this location, but across the two counties. To help mitigate this problem, the design consultant sends notification emails to underground utilities within the limits of the project to notify them of the upcoming project. WSSC and our design consultants also consult Montgomery County and Prince George’s County informational resources that show recently completed and planned paving projects to avoid re-disturbing recently paved streets to the maximum extent practicable.
I want to reiterate that this project is at no cost to WSSC’s customers, it is 100% covered by WSSC. We only request cooperation from residents during the design and construction. WSSC’s goal is to be transparent with all the upcoming projects and we look forward to continuing providing excellent service to Montgomery County and Prince George’s County.
We will be hosting a community meeting in August for all residents to go over more details of the construction phase of the project. The meeting will be held virtually and recorded so if a resident cannot attend the meeting it is available afterwards. More communication will come from WSSC as the date gets closer.
Parkwood Residents Association 