If you’re a WSSC Water customer, you’ll also pay for the Potomac sewage pipe collapse

Capital region residents will likely pay for the cleanup and repairs of the collapsed Potomac Interceptor pipeline, which in January released as much as 300 million gallons of sewage into the Potomac River.

Costs continue to stack up for the wastewater spill that environmental experts have said may be the largest in U.S. history.

DC Water, the Washington utility responsible for the Potomac Interceptor, has estimated that fixing the broken pipe and cleaning the surrounding area will cost about $20 million.

Ratepayers in Maryland and Virginia will foot the bill.

While the section of pipeline that collapsed carries waste from just a few Montgomery County cities and towns, 2 million customers across Montgomery and Prince George’s counties will pay, according to the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, or WSSC Water, the water and wastewater utility that serves both jurisdictions.

It’s not yet clear how and when repair and cleanup costs could affect ratepayers’ bills.

Rates on the rise

WSSC Water rates have increased in recent years, and the Potomac Interceptor collapse has brought renewed attention to costs the utility passes on to customers.

WSSC Water quarterly bills rose by an average of $25.60 last fiscal year and by nearly $25.50 the year prior.

It had plans for a 5% rate increase months before the pipeline collapse. Spokesperson Chuck Brown said the utility expects that, under next year’s budget, quarterly bills for a family of three will increase by an average of $14.75.

“At what point do we reach a breaking point of what residents are reasonably expected to pay?” said Andrew Friedson, a Montgomery County Council member whose district includes the collapse site, near Cabin John.

Why WSSC Water?

DC Water crews are responsible for maintaining and repairing the Potomac Interceptor. But WSSC Water and the other utilities that rely on the 54-mile pipeline share the cost of that work under a regional agreement.

The agreement gives WSSC Water responsibility for about 31% of the cost of maintenance and repairs in the section of the pipeline that collapsed. The rest falls to utilities in Virginia, including Fairfax and Loudoun counties.

The collapse site, according to WSSC Water, is part of a segment that collects waste from six Montgomery County towns and cities: Glen Echo, Cabin John, Potomac, Rockville, Bethesda and Gaithersburg.

But WSSC Water spreads costs across its roughly 1,000-square-mile service area, Brown said.

Part of WSSC Water’s bill will also go to the city of Rockville, which under a separate agreement is responsible for about 5% of DC Water’s maintenance and repair costs.

Mayor Monique Ashton said in a statement that her city “will be an active collaborator along with state and federal support.” Asked to clarify, her spokesperson referred back to the statement.

Federal help?

Local officials and utility executives hope federal aid will reduce ratepayers’ bills. But they can’t count on it.

After D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser requested that President Donald Trump declare a “major disaster” and cover all costs for the district and DC Water, the president approved an emergency declaration under which the federal government will reimburse 75% of the cost of the assistance its agencies provide.

The district and DC Water are on the hook for the rest.

A spokesperson for the Federal Emergency Management Agency said in an email that the agency may consider additional assistance later if further assessments show it is needed.

Either way, DC Water spokesperson Sherri Lewis said the utility must pay for all the work its crews and contractors complete.

DC Water’s costs are then passed on to WSSC Water and, eventually, capital region ratepayers.

A previous version of this story misstated the number of towns and cities from which the collapsed portion of the pipeline collects waste. There are six: Glen Echo, Cabin John, Potomac, Rockville, Bethesda and Gaithersburg.