Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
Encyclopedia
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) provides safe drinking water
and wastewater treatment
for Montgomery
and Prince George's
Counties in Maryland
. It was established on May 1, 1918. It is the eighth largest water and wastewater utility
in the United States
. The WSSC serves about 1.8 million people in an approximately 1000 square miles (2,590 km²) area. It owns and manages about 10000 miles (16,093.4 km) of water and sewer mains.
and sewer
mains. The agency operates 3 reservoir
s (plus shared access to a fourth reservoir), 2 drinking water filtration
plants, and 7 wastewater treatment
plants. It also collects wastewater which is treated by the Blue Plains
plant (operated by DC WASA
) in Washington, D.C.
* shared resource with Fairfax County Water Authority
and Washington Aqueduct
. Jennings Randolph Lake
, operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is also shared by these water suppliers.
* mgd: million gallons per day gpd: gallons per day
s with the approval of the county councils. The day-to-day operations are the responsibility of a general manager, who supervises a staff of over 1,500. The Commission's budget for Fiscal Year 2008 (which ended June 30, 2008) was $807.5 million. The agency headquarters offices are located in Laurel, Maryland
.
Drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
and wastewater treatment
Sewage treatment
Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater and household sewage, both runoff and domestic. It includes physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants...
for Montgomery
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
and Prince George's
Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
Counties in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. It was established on May 1, 1918. It is the eighth largest water and wastewater utility
Public utility
A public utility is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service . Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and regulation ranging from local community-based groups to state-wide government monopolies...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The WSSC serves about 1.8 million people in an approximately 1000 square miles (2,590 km²) area. It owns and manages about 10000 miles (16,093.4 km) of water and sewer mains.
Operations
A bi-county agency, WSSC has extensive regulatory functions. It promulgates and enforces the plumbing code for its jurisdiction as well as reviews and approves contract plans for extensions of waterWater supply network
A water supply system or water supply network is a system of engineered hydrologic and hydraulic components which provide water supply. A water supply system typically includes:# A drainage basin ;...
and sewer
Sanitary sewer
A sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...
mains. The agency operates 3 reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
s (plus shared access to a fourth reservoir), 2 drinking water filtration
Water purification
Water purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, materials, and biological contaminants from contaminated water. The goal is to produce water fit for a specific purpose...
plants, and 7 wastewater treatment
Sewage treatment
Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater and household sewage, both runoff and domestic. It includes physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants...
plants. It also collects wastewater which is treated by the Blue Plains
District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority
The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority provides drinking water, sewage collection and wastewater treatment in Washington, D.C., USA. DC Water also provides wholesale wastewater treatment services to several adjoining municipalities in Maryland and Virginia...
plant (operated by DC WASA
District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority
The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority provides drinking water, sewage collection and wastewater treatment in Washington, D.C., USA. DC Water also provides wholesale wastewater treatment services to several adjoining municipalities in Maryland and Virginia...
) in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Reservoirs
- Rocky Gorge ReservoirRocky Gorge ReservoirRocky Gorge Reservoir is located on the Patuxent River in Howard County, Montgomery County and Prince George’s County, Maryland near the town of Burtonsville. The reservoir was created in 1952 by the construction of the T. Howard Duckett Dam on the Patuxent. The dam is visible from Interstate 95...
- Triadelphia ReservoirTriadelphia ReservoirTriadelphia Reservoir, sometimes called Tridelphia Reservoir or Tridelphia Lake, is located on the Patuxent River, in Howard County and Montgomery County, Maryland near the town of Brookeville. The reservoir was created in 1943 by the construction of the Brighton Dam on the Patuxent. It has a...
- Little Seneca LakeLittle Seneca LakeLittle Seneca Lake is a reservoir located near the Boyds community in Montgomery County, Maryland. The lake was created by the construction of a dam on Little Seneca Creek. It was built to provide an emergency water supply for the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area, and it also provides a...
*
Fairfax County Water Authority
Fairfax County Water Authority is the main water company in the Northern Virginia region of the United States, and one of the three major water providers in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area...
and Washington Aqueduct
Washington Aqueduct
The Washington Aqueduct is an aqueduct that provides the public water supply system serving Washington, D.C., and parts of its suburbs. One of the first major aqueduct projects in the United States, the Aqueduct was commissioned by Congress in 1852, and construction began in 1853 under the...
. Jennings Randolph Lake
Jennings Randolph Lake
Jennings Randolph Lake is a reservoir of located on the North Branch Potomac River in Garrett County, Maryland and Mineral County, West Virginia. It is approximately eight miles upstream of Bloomington, Maryland, and approximately five miles north of Elk Garden, West Virginia.-Construction and...
, operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is also shared by these water suppliers.
Wastewater Treatment Plants
| Plant | Location | Size* | Discharges to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Damascus | Damascus Damascus, Maryland Damascus is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States.In the early part of the 20th century, there was an incorporated municipality there for about a quarter century, but it no longer exists... |
1.5 mgd | Magruder Branch |
| Hyattstown | Hyattstown Hyattstown, Maryland Hyattstown is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. Established in 1798 and named after its founder, John Hyatt, this crossroad's town is located on Maryland Route 355 in upper Montgomery County... |
20,000 gpd | Little Bennett Creek |
| Parkway | Bowie Bowie, Maryland Bowie is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 54,727 at the 2010 census. Bowie has grown from a small railroad stop to the largest municipality in Prince George's County, and the fifth most populous city and third largest city by area in the state of... |
7.5 mgd | Patuxent River Patuxent River The Patuxent River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in the state of Maryland. There are three main river drainages for central Maryland: the Potomac River to the west passing through Washington D.C., the Patapsco River to the northeast passing through Baltimore, and the Patuxent River between... |
| Piscataway | Accokeek Accokeek, Maryland Accokeek is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, located about 8.5 miles southwest of Washington, D.C. The population was 7,349 at the 2000 census. It is home to Piscataway Park.... |
30 mgd | Piscataway Creek Piscataway Creek Piscataway Creek is an tributary of the Potomac River in Prince George's County, Maryland. The creek is a tidal arm of the Potomac for its final , entering the Potomac at Fort Washington Park. Tinkers Creek is a tributary to Piscataway Creek, converging from the north upstream of the mouth of the... |
| Seneca | Germantown | 20 mgd | Great Seneca Creek Seneca Creek (Potomac River) Seneca Creek is a stream in Montgomery County, Maryland, roughly northwest of Washington, D.C. It drains to the Potomac River.-Course:The creek begins with two main tributaries:... |
| Western Branch | Upper Marlboro Upper Marlboro, Maryland Upper Marlboro is a town in and the county seat of Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The live-in population of the town core proper was only 648 at the 2000 census, although Greater Upper Marlboro is many times larger.... |
30 mgd | Western Branch |
| Marlboro Meadows | Upper Marlboro | 0.6 mgd | Patuxent River |
Management
The WSSC is overseen by six commissioners, three from Montgomery County and three from Prince George's County. These commissioners are appointed by their respective county executiveCounty executive
A county executive is the head of the executive branch of government in a county. This position is common in the United States.The executive may be an elected or an appointed position...
s with the approval of the county councils. The day-to-day operations are the responsibility of a general manager, who supervises a staff of over 1,500. The Commission's budget for Fiscal Year 2008 (which ended June 30, 2008) was $807.5 million. The agency headquarters offices are located in Laurel, Maryland
Laurel, Maryland
Laurel is a city in northern Prince George's County, Anne Arundel County, and Howard County, Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. Incorporated in 1870, the city maintains a historic district including its Main Street...
.