Water Main Break Closes Wheaton Street: UPDATE

UPDATED at 5 p.m.

A large water main break on Georgia Avenue in Wheaton has flooded streets and homes near the site, officials say.

The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission says on Twitter that it has crews at the site of the 16-inch water main break. WSSC official said the malfunctioning pipe is 68 years old.

Three adults and three children have been displaced from one house by the flooding, said Pete Piringer, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services spokesman, via Twitter.

Several homes were flooded and WSSC’s Claims and Emergency Services team will work with homeowners to replace or repair any damage resulting from the water main break the utility says. About 42 customers are without water while repairs are under way.

Piringer tweeted photos that showed water over the road on southbound Georgia Avenue near Shorefield Drive, and filling one yard.

All southbound lanes of Georgia Avenue are closed between Randolph Road and Henderson Avenue, officials said.

Businesses in the area may also be affected, Piringer said.

Once repairs are made and water is back in service, the affected area of the road will be repaved, WSSC said in a news release.

This is a breaking news story; Patch will update as information is released.

»Photos of water main break on Georgia Avenue in Wheaton, courtesy of Pete Piringer, MCFRS, via Twitter