Montgomery County Public Libraries hit by network outage after underground fire in Baltimore

Montgomery County Public Libraries announced that they are experiencing a system-wide network outage, due to an "underground fire in Baltimore this past weekend." The fire damaged a fiber optic cable network that serves public libraries statewide, MCPL said in a statement this afternoon. 

All Montgomery County libraries remain open on their normal schedules, and it is possible to check out books and materials. However, MCPL’s Wi-Fi, public computers, printing, scanning and copying services are currently unavailable, and MCPL believes the outage may last for several days. Libraries and school systems in all Maryland counties have been impacted.

Repairs to the fiber optic system are currently underway, MCPL stated. Baltimore City officials do not yet know the cause of several recent underground fires that have impacted electrical and communication utilities. This past weekend's fire was followed Monday by a major Verizon cell service outage impacting multiple states, and today by an eight-hour Sony PlayStation Network outage that affected users worldwide. Neither Verizon nor Sony have indicated the cause of their service interruptions so far.

WSSC seeks public comment on proposed new Damascus Town Center Wastewater Pumping Station

The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission is moving forward with a plan to replace the Damascus Town Center Wastewater Pumping Station, and is receiving public comment on the proposal between now and May 4, 2024. As planned, the existing pumping station would be demolished, and a new one would be constructed about 1500 linear feet north of that location at 26701 Woodfield Road. The existing pumping station is now outmoded, the utility said.

The replacement facility would be a wet well and valve vault-style pumping station. It would include an electrical and control building, paving and fencing with an access gate, landscaping, a gravity sewer, a low-pressure sewer force main, a water main, and associated infrastructure to "pump sewage out of the proposed pump station and into the collection system.

Alas, the project plans are not provided online for the public. Instead, they are available for public review in-person at the WSSC at 14501 Sweitzer Lane, Laurel, Maryland 20707 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Public comment is only accepted in written form, and can be mailed to Tanweer Baig, 14501 Sweitzer Lane, Laurel, Maryland 20707, or emailed to Tanweer.Baig@wsscwater.com.

Water main break at New Mark Commons in Rockville

There is a water main break at 138 New Mark Esplanade, in the New Mark Commons community of Rockville. Thirty-five nearby homes will be impacted by water outages during the repairs, which the City of Rockville says are now getting underway. A city public works crew is now on-scene to excavate the water main.

Underground utility work on E. Middle Lane in Rockville (Photos)

A utility crew was working under the street on E. Middle Lane in Rockville Town Center late last night. The work took place near the driveway entrance to the Choice Hotels headquarters garage. A new apartment building is under construction on that block. At least one City of Rockville vehicle was on-site.

Verizon working at night in downtown Rockville

Watch out for lane closures near Rockville Town Center. Verizon is performing utility work on their network in that area at night.

Nighttime noise ahead for some in Rockville Town Center

The City of Rockville says sewer lines are failing in the vicinity of 1 Dawson Avenue, and 14 S. Adams Street in the Rockville Town Center area, according to a filing with Montgomery County. It has requested a nighttime noise waver to replace the sewer lines starting next week.

Nighttime work on the sewer lines is scheduled to begin on or about June 2, 2019, and will take about two weeks to complete. Work hours will be from 9:00 PM to 7:00 AM. Among those in closest proximity to the noise will be residents of Beall's Grant and the Metropolitan.

Nighttime noise ahead on Aqueduct Road in Rockville

WSSC water tank on Aqueduct Rd.
in Rockville

The WSSC will be upgrading its water mains along Aqueduct Road in Rockville between Chilham Place and Old Canal Road this winter. To reduce the impact of water loss on residents, the utility will be performing the work at night, between 9:00 PM and 5:00 AM.

The project will take several nights to complete, and will take place this month or possibly into March, depending on weather conditions. As you may know, the WSSC has a large standpipe water tank on the next block, at 8505 Aqueduct Road, so these are likely large and important water connections underneath the road.