Building out Metro’s long overdue Purple Line continues to disrupt life for county residents.
Four apartment units are condemned and another three require extensive repairs following a water main break that flooded two floors of the Wayne Manchester Towers on East Wayne Avenue in Long Branch on July 25.
Twenty families – a total of 50 people – lost most of their belongings. They were helped by the county to move into temporary living spaces.
How it Happened
According to a statement from Maryland Transit Solutions, a subcontractor construction partner for the Purple Line, construction “encountered an unmarked, abandoned water pipe. This unexpectedly affected a nearby active water main, which resulted in water flowing from the construction site into the nearby Wayne Manchester Apartment building.”
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission helped stop the flow of water. Sandbags were installed to contain the water, and on-site clean up began, according to the statement from the Purple Line.
Flood Damage
When Del. Lorig Charkoudian learned of the flooding, she went out to the apartments. She arrived about three hours after the 4 p.m. flooding. Already, the apartment management team was ripping out carpeting and cutting off the electricity, she said.
While the flooding had stopped, Charkoudian said, “I did see very high-water markings. I saw carpets soaked and things piled up on mattresses” and other furniture in an attempt to save as much as they could.
“It was clear that there was really significant damage.”
Some of the residents she spoke with “were shaken. I think it was terrifying. The water just came rushing in.” She added, “The good news is people were safe, but there still is a lot of concern about the safety of the building.”
Help for Residents
Charkoudian, along with other officials, are working to make sure residents can put their lives back together. Many residents are not financially well off and can’t afford to go out and refurbish their apartments, she said.
Montgomery County Department of Emergency Management helped the impacted residents, moving them to a nearby hotel and matching them up with services. Impacted residents also are being assisted with filling out insurance claims.
The Wayne Manchester Towers Apartments property management team is coordinating remediation efforts.
Donation Drive
Making Homes Possible (MHP), a nonprofit that builds affordable housing throughout the area, is collecting donations to support the families.
“While the affected building is not an MHP property, we are actively engaged in efforts to preserve the character and strengths of Long Branch to respond to the short- and long-term impacts of the Purple Line light rail, a new transit line that is scheduled to open in late 2027,” MHP wrote on its donation page.
According to a social media post by Delegate Lorig Charkoudian (D-20), “Everyone is safe but several families lost a lot.”
Photo by Delegate Lorig Charkoudian
On Friday, Purple Line construction led to a water main break that flooded two floors of a nearby apartment complex. Everyone is safe but several families lost a lot. I want to thank those who worked to make sure folks are cared for. TY MoCo OEM & HHS; @mtamaryland @PurpleLineMD pic.twitter.com/zrxCzozW5j
— Lorig Charkoudian (@LCharkoudian) July 27, 2025
