Water restrictions after DC pipe breaks, sending gusher several stories high

A massive water main break has forced the closure of Connecticut Avenue in Washington, D.C., and imposed mandatory water restrictions on Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission customers in two counties.

The break is expected to affect the morning commute, as a hoped-for 6 a.m. reopening of Connecticut Avenue was called off around 5:20 a.m.

Drivers are not able to get between D.C. and the Beltway using Connecticut Avenue, which is closed in both directions between Manor Road and Dunlap Street. That closure will continue indefinitely, WSSC said.

The main broke around 8 p.m. Monday at Chevy Chase Lake Drive, where water gushed several stories high from the 54-inch water main.

The break caused a power line to fall, but no customers have lost power. Natural gas and electric lines run along the water main, so crews from Washington Gas and PEPCO had to secure those lines before work on the water main could begin, said WSSC.

Crews had a scare shortly before 5:20 a.m. when a tree came down at the scene due to the saturated ground.

Read more from NBCWashington.com

The tree brought down some additional power lines, which dashed hopes for a 6 a.m. road opening. Pepco is headed to the scene.

Another tree is also threatening to topple, said WSSC.

Water restrictions in Maryland

While there are no water reported water outages, all WSSC customers in Prince George's and Montgomery counties are required to restrict usage until repairs are complete.

WSSC says all residential and commercial customers must:

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

Use water only as necessary -- i.e., take shorter showers and turn off faucets after washing hands and while brushing teeth.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

Limit flushing toilets (do not flush after every use).

Put off washing clothes if possible.

Limit the use of dishwashers and wash only full loads.

The restrictions could last up to a week, WSSC said. A violation carries a fine of up to $500 fine.

WSSC said in a release it has been working with fire departments from both counties to ensure adequate fire protection.

"Please don't hoard water. We're not running out," said General Manager Jerry N. Johnson. "But if everyone can cut their water use by 10 percent, we should be OK. We appreciate everyone's understanding and cooperation."

Officials said the pipes are old -- circa 1980 -- but did not give a cause for the break.

There is no timeline for repairs, WSSC said.

NBCWashington.com