News Nearby: More Water Main Issues in Chevy Chase

(Updated 3:40 p.m.) One week after the massive water main break at Connecticut Avenue and Chevy Chase Lake Drive, another leak was discovered in a pipe joint of 54-inch-wide main only a few blocks away.

According to the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, a leak was found in a wooded area near the 3200 block of Coquelin Terrace. A resident reported the leak to WSSC after seeing water on the ground Monday afternoon.

WSSC said there were no reports of water outages and that there was no need for water use restrictions.

The leaking pipe was connected to the 60-inch water main that failed March 18.

Both pipes were equipped with an acoustic fiber optic system to alert WSSC of impending breaks. The system did not alert WSSC of the either of the recent leaks, the utility reported.

WSSC said the alert system detects sound from wires that snapped within a pipe, but the system does not pick up leaks. The utility said the undetected leaks did not necessarily indicate any problem with alert system.

Crews initially thought the leak might be in a relief valve but later determined the leak was in the transmission main itself.

WSSC is draining water from the pipe and said an emergency contractor would begin repairs as soon as possible.