Unfortunately, this incident does not appear to be isolated. Over the summer a similar situation with WSSC occurred in a nearby portion of the Northwest Branch. The branch was badly damaged, as was restoration work by the Montgomery County Dept. of Environment. It cost WSSC rate payers $100,000 to fix the mess WSSC made. All of this because WSSC failed to notify the county on planned maintenance work, improper over site of the work, and the lack of protocol to mitigate the damage once it was discovered (WSSC was notified of the problem on Friday, but did not stop the water discharge until = Monday).
Let me know if there are any objections or suggests to this letter (we want to send this out soon). I would encourage you all to send your own letters/emails to the WSSC general manager, Andrew Brunhart, at abrunha@wsscwater.com and cc the county council county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov and Doug Duncan at douglas.duncan@montgomerycountymd.gov
Thanks,
Ed Murtagh
1904 Ventura Ave.
Mr. Andrew Brunhart
General Manager
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
Dear Mr. Brunhart,
We were extremely dismayed to learn of the chlorinated water discharge to the headwaters area of Sligo Creek that occurred over the past weekend.
The Sligo Headwaters Civic Association represents a number of residents of the immediate area. Many of us were attracted to the neighborhood for its proximity to Sligo Creek Park. Through interaction with Friends of Sligo Creek and other groups, we have learned that the water quality of Sligo Creek is degraded even before it comes to the surface in our neighborhood. We have taken steps, individually and as an Association, to improve the water quality of Sligo Creek by participating in water quality testing and wildlife monitoring programs, cleaning up mountains of trash and removing invasive plants from the watershed. Several neighbors formed a co-op to use our yards to help restore the ecosystem by cutting the use of fertilizers and pesticides and converting lawn to native plantings. The American Elm Park at Ladd and Luttrell Streets, a stone's throw from where the discharge occurred, is a demonstration site for Sligo-friendly practices. It was formed and nurtured with support from the County and non-profit organizations, countless hours of volunteer labor and donations of plant material from community members.
This sincere effort on our part makes it all the more unfathomable that WSSC would deliberately discharge huge quantities of water that poisoned the creek, killed wildlife that was surviving in a precarious environment and undermined a water quality improvement project of the County. That ratepayer dollars were used for a fiasco that damaged a taxpayer-supported project adds insult to injury.
We would like to know what WSSC plans to do to prevent a repetition of this problem, including procedures for consultation with DEP. Further, we would like to know what you plan to do to protect Sligo Creek generally. For much of last summer, people walking, jogging or biking on the heavily traveled Sligo Creek bike path were greeted with a sign saying there was a sewage overflow and advising them to avoid contact with the environment. We came to this area to enjoy contact with the environment and are baffled at how a public utility can so cavalierly treat Sligo Creek as a sewer. We would appreciate a response to this letter.
Sincerely,
Edward Murtagh Leah Haygood Co-coordinator Co-coordinator Sligo Headwaters Civic Association Sligo Headwaters Civic Association