MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — The Potomac River provides water to more than 5 million people in our region, but what if local utilities suddenly couldn’t use it due to a disaster such as a fuel spill, terrorist attack, or extreme drought? There would be little recourse.
“If something would happen to the Potomac River, this region has about one day worth of backup water, and then there is no secondary source,” said Lyn Riggins, spokesperson for WSSC Water in Maryland.
This past June, WSSC Water partnered with other entities such as Fairfax Water and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments to launch a $25 million study called “Secure the Source” that seeks to find ways to store a backup water supply to the Potomac River. The goal is to have a water supply that would last for weeks or even longer in an emergency…