Sewer Leakage into NW Branch October 2004 Back to Photo Gallery Update - Leak Patched Followup Inspection by AWS

Bill Howard reported a sewer leakage into NW Branch downstream from Burnt Mills on October 30, but had insufficient time to find the source of the leakage. The following day Clair Garman investigated the leakage and found a cracked pipe joint about fifty feet up a side stream of NW Branch. The side stream appears to be unnamed, but runs into the left bank (facing downstream) of NW Branch about a half mile below Burnt Mills (Route 29, Colesville Road).

Sewage spilling into NW Branch from the side stream.

Looking up the side stream, a sewer pipe is seen surrounded by leaking sewer water.

The cracked pipe joint is discovered where the pipe first comes out of the stream bed.

A closeup of the leak shows the crack in the bell of the pipe joint.

Clair walked up the side stream about a quarter mile onto Meadowhill Road, where he used the phone of an obliging resident to call WSSC. After a half hour wait the WSSC crew arrived and were guided down the slope to the site of the leakage. They took photos and referred the problem to their dispatcher. A maintenance crew will be called to repair the leak.

The WSSC crew inspect the leakage.

The sewer water leaves deposits on the rocks in the creek.