Landscapers were able to hydrate the flower beds in Quince Orchard Park on July 3 despite county-wide water restrictions because they were using well water trucked in from their Frederick County garden center. They even posted signs on their watering truck that read “well water.”

“Our pipe is back in service. I want to thank our customers who were unavoidably inconvenienced by these water restrictions,” said Jerry Johnson, WSSC general manager, on July 6. “We made the right decision and took the proper precautions when we decided to immediately repair the pipe. The restrictions were unfortunate but necessary. We needed to be proactive to prevent what could have been a very serious situation.”

The mandatory water restrictions began on July 1 when WSSC detected a problem with a section of a 96-inch pipe near the intersection of Tuckerman Lane and Gainsborough Road in Potomac. In order to maintain pressure for fighting fires, water restrictions were imposed. WSSC asked for a 30 percent reduction in water use, with a prohibition on outdoor water use.

Soon after the restrictions were lifted, many Gaithersburg residents were observed turning on their lawn sprinklers and watering their gardens.