After nearly a month of cracked, burst and frozen water pipes, fewer than 50 customers of Baltimore's water system remain without service Tuesday, city officials said.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said officials are still tallying the cost of the brutal weather in overtime, extra salt and contractors.
"For the past few weeks, city employees have worked around the clock to not only keep our residents, safe but to also clear our city streets and work through thousands of calls from residents struggling with the after-effects of water main breaks," Rawlings-Blake said. She spoke at a news conference, flanked by about a dozen public works and transportation crew members.
The mayor warned that the system — which also serves customers in Baltimore County — is susceptible to more breaks as the weather warms up and the ground shifts.
Residents also should brace for potholes, which open up as the ground gets warmer, Rawlings-Blake said. Rounds of salt treatment also are to blame for weakening road surfaces.
William Johnson, the city's transportation director, said inspectors are on the street looking for potholes. Residents who spot them should call 311. Crews aim to repair potholes that are reported within 48 hours.
Johnson said given the volume of potholes, the city may fall behind its 48-hour goal. He said the city's entered "pothole season."
"Rest assured we're coming," Johnson said. "We hear you. We recognize you. We recognize the impact it has on your neighborhoods."
As for the water repairs, Rudy Chow, the city's public works director, said work is underway for the majority of customers still without service. He said the city is winding down its emergency response operations by rolling back employee shifts to 12 hours, from 16, and deactivating the 24-hour command center.
Chow said the city received more than 6,000 calls for water problems since mid-February. The average number of calls to 311 for water problems rose from a high of 100 a day to an average of 400 during the extreme weather.
"We understand your frustration," Chow said. "We have already been discussing lessons learned and what we need to do to prepare for a better response next time."
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