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Tag: sewage spill

  • DC Water officials say section of Potomac River expected to reopen soon after spill – WTOP News

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    Officials said during a town hall in Southeast D.C. that bacteria levels are dropping to the point that people will be allowed back onto the river for recreational purposes next week.

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    DC Water officials say section of Potomac River expected to reopen soon after spill

    A standing room-only crowd heard from D.C. Water and other officials about the huge Potomac Interceptor sewer spill that resulted in more than 240 million gallons of highly polluted water getting into the Potomac River near Cabin John, Maryland.

    Officials say during the meeting at D.C. Water’s headquarters in Southeast D.C. that bacteria levels are dropping to the point that people will be allowed back onto the river for recreational purposes next week.

    D.C.’s Health Director Ayanna Bennett said regular bacteria testing shows levels are dropping and in the District section of the river restrictions will be relaxed so boaters, rowers and others can go back onto the water.

    “In the D.C. waters we consider it safe for you to have contact with the Potomac and that advisory will be announced as lifted on March 2,” she told the audience.

    “So, we are going to lift our advisory about contact with the Potomac in the D.C. waters.”

    While many people expressed relief that some restrictions on contact with the river are being loosened, D.C. Water officials insist because of the location of the main break, and their actions in the day’s aftermath, the city’s water supply remains safe to drink and no sewage has been released into the river for two weeks.

    D.C. Water CEO David Gadis said the break on the 54-mile pipe that runs from Dulles International Airport in Virginia to the District shows how fragile aging infrastructure can fail.

    “We are committed to looking at all sections of the pipe at the Potomac Interceptor. And also reevaluating their structural and integrity to ensure an event like this does not happen again,” he said.

    Repairs to the sewer line will cost at least $20 million. It’s not clear how the cost will be covered and how much the federal government will cover.

    D.C. Water chief operating officer Matt Brown said the damage sustained on the roughly 60-year-old sewer line showed the vulnerability of the region’s infrastructure.

    “We have some very, very old brick line sewers that are in really good shape and then we have some newer sewers that have some corrosion,” Brown said.

    Many in the audience included D.C. officials, neighborhood advisory commission members, along with some people who depend on the Potomac River for their livelihoods.

    Capt. Tim Blanchard, owner of Fish The Potomac, told the audience that his business had been heavily affected by the spill.

    “We’ve been shut down ever since,” he said, explaining that his plans to expand his operations have been temporarily on hold until the river situation stabilizes.

    But Blanchard said he’s relieved that the advisory could be lifted soon.

    “I’m just excited to get out there and fish again,” he added.

    The meeting was the first of at least two planned town hall-style events to give the public more information about the spill and its cleanup. A second town hall is scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m. at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland.

    D.C. Water crews have put in place a temporary bypass system, and they say they’ve added additional backup measures to prevent overflow events from taking place while the emergency repairs are underway.

    The utility said since Feb. 8 no additional polluted water has entered the river. Crews are removing rocks and debris from the collapsed section of pipe, and emergency repairs are projected to be completed by mid-March.

    Residents heard from D.C. Water for updates on the Potomac Interceptor sewer spill that resulted in more than 240 million gallons of highly polluted water getting into the Potomac River.
    (WTOP/Dan Ronan)

    WTOP/Dan Ronan

    D.C. Water said it plans to reopen a stretch of the Potomac for recreational use.
    (WTOP/Dan Ronan)

    WTOP/Dan Ronan

    Officials say during the meeting at D.C. Water’s headquarters in Southeast D.C. that bacteria levels are dropping.
    (WTOP/Dan Ronan)

    WTOP/Dan Ronan

    While many people expressed relief that some restrictions on contact with the river are being loosened, D.C. Water officials insist because of the location of the main break, and their actions in the day’s aftermath, the city’s water supply remains safe to drink.
    (WTOP/Dan Ronan)

    WTOP/Dan Ronan

    Repairs to the sewer line will cost at least $20 million. It’s not clear how the cost will be covered and how much the federal government will cover.
    (WTOP/Dan Ronan)

    WTOP/Dan Ronan

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    © 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Dan Ronan

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  • DC provides clearer picture of limited federal help for Potomac Interceptor repair – WTOP News

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    D.C. officials said they’re getting a clearer picture of how much federal help will be available as crews continue repairing the collapsed Potomac Interceptor.

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    Massive sewage spill flowing into Potomac River upstream from Washington

    District officials said they’re getting a clearer picture of how much federal help will be available as crews continue repairing the collapsed Potomac Interceptor, which has dropped millions of gallons of sewage in the river since it ruptured in January.

    During an update on repairs from D.C. Water, D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency Director Clint Osborn said the current federal emergency declaration does not allow the District or D.C. Water to recoup money already spent on repairs.

    Osborn said early indications that the federal government would cover 75% of the total repair and cleanup were misunderstood. He said that percentage only applies when federal agencies directly perform work assigned through the emergency declaration, and does not cover the repair work D.C. Water is carrying out.

    “We’re going to continue to work through the preliminary damage assessment process with FEMA this week to determine whether we can convince FEMA and the White House to upgrade us to a major disaster declaration, which would get us reimbursement,” Osborn said.

    At the repair site, D.C. Water spokesperson Sherri Lewis said crews have expanded the excavation area to reach a large rock and debris blockage inside the pipe.

    Lewis said crews have removed a significant portion of the blockage.

    “We’ve removed sections of the pipe over the last couple of days, and so far, have removed about 45 feet of that rock and debris dam. We’re now down to maybe the last eight or 10 feet,” Lewis said.

    After the remaining debris is cleared, crews will clean the inside of the pipe, install steel reinforcement and apply geopolymer to rebuild the interior surface. Lewis said the geopolymer is put on in layers, and each layer needs time to cure until they achieve the needed thickness.

    Lewis said D.C. Water is still on track to finish the emergency repair by mid-March. She also said there have been no overflows into the Potomac River since Feb. 8 and that D.C. Water has added a 14th pump to strengthen the bypass system.

    Osborn said the Environment Protection Agency will help the District move from weekly to daily water testing by providing laboratory support.

    Lewis said downstream readings need to be viewed in the context of normal fluctuations that can be seen in the river, since any water quality spikes could simply be part of normal river behavior and not tied to the interceptor failure.

    “You have to be cognizant of the normal urban river environment before drawing any conclusions,” Lewis said.

    She also noted that federal officials have visited the site, including the EPA administrator and the secretary of the interior.

    Residents should stay away from the work zone, Lewis said, adding people have been walking toward the construction area from Clara Barton Parkway.

    D.C. Water also recently located an additional 2024 condition assessment of the pipe segment and is reviewing, it along with earlier reports.

    “We are committed to a rigorous review process of that and reviewing those facts, and we do plan on sharing what we learn fully once it’s evaluated,” Lewis said.

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    © 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Mike Murillo

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  • Who foots the $20M bill of the Potomac River sewage cleanup, repairs? – WTOP News

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    The cost of cleaning up and making repairs after a sewer line failure sent hundreds of millions of gallons of sewage into the Potomac River will total around $20 million.

    The cost of cleaning up and making repairs after a sewer line failure sent hundreds of millions of gallons of sewage into the Potomac River will total about $20 million, the CEO of D.C. Water said Friday.

    David Gadis provided the estimate during a briefing on the Jan. 19 failure of the Potomac Interceptor, a roughly 60-year-old, 54-mile long sewer line. The pipe failed in Cabin John, Maryland.

    It’s not entirely clear how the cost will be covered.

    Earlier this week, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser submitted a Presidential Emergency Disaster Declaration request, seeking full reimbursement for costs incurred by both D.C. and D.C. Water.

    “We expect 100% reimbursement,” Bowser said.

    But D.C. Water’s facilities, including the Potomac Interceptor, are funded through an intermunicipal agreement, or IMA. Maryland and Virginia would be on the hook for more than 50% of the cost, per the agreement.

    So will the federal government approve D.C.’s request? And if so, will Maryland and Virginia’s share be covered too?

    District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser attends at a news conference regarding the Potomac Interceptor break, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)

    “If the president wants to help Americans who deserve to know that the Potomac River is safe, it doesn’t matter, in my estimation, if it comes through D.C. to D.C. Water, because D.C. Water serves D.C., Maryland and Virginia. It’s kind of hard to parse it out,” Bowser said. “We are happy to be the conduit for the region.”

    President Donald Trump also weighed in this week on social media, saying the three jurisdictions needed to work collaboratively. He called out Maryland Gov. Wes Moore by name.

    “If they can’t do the job, they have to call me and ask, politely, to get it fixed,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, adding the federal government “can fix it.”

    According to D.C. Water, the utility’s customers will not face any additional financial strain as a result of the sewage spill. Gadis said there would be no rate increase tied to the incident, and that the utility had already submitted planned rate increases for the future.

    Officials also stressed during Friday’s briefing that drinking water was not affected, but said people should avoid recreational contact with the river as a precaution.

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    © 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Thomas Robertson

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  • DC mayor on request for federal assistance with sewer line repairs: ‘We’re different’ – WTOP News

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    D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser indicated she’s working to not only mitigate the impact of a massive sewage spill in the Potomac River, but to protect District residents from footing the bill.

    D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser indicated she’s working to not only mitigate the impact of a massive sewage spill in the Potomac River, but to protect District residents from footing the bill to repair D.C. Water’s wastewater pipeline.

    A segment of D.C. Water’s Potomac Interceptor collapsed last month, leading to one of the worst sewage spills in the nation’s history.

    During a news conference for the groundbreaking of a new recreation center in Southeast D.C. on Thursday, Bowser was asked about how the cost of making repairs to the Potomac Interceptor, a pipe that carries wastewater to the city, would be covered.

    “This is a D.C. Water asset,” Bowser said initially. “D.C. Water is responsible for fixing its pipe.”

    The spill was caused by break in a 72-inch-wide segment of the 60-year-old pipeline, shooting millions of gallons of sewage out of the ground and into the river.

    However, Bowser has asked the federal government to assist in the cleanup and repairs — a move that came after President Donald Trump criticized regional officials for their response to the break, which happened in mid-January.

    Bowser said D.C. Water has spent billions of dollars on its infrastructure, and along with distributing drinking water to District residents, provides wastewater services to parts of Maryland and Virginia.

    “We’re different. We are the nation’s capital, and so we think that there is a role for the federal government in speeding up those investments” in the system’s infrastructure, Bowser said.

    She bristled at one reporter’s question on whether the D.C. government took the sewage spill “seriously” in the days following the pipeline’s collapse last month.

    “I have to correct you,” Bowser said. “We’ve always taken it seriously.”

    The initial break sent millions of gallons of sewage flowing into the Potomac River until crews were able to come up with a system to funnel the leaking wastewater into the C&O Canal, allowing it to bypass the Potomac River and be channeled back into the Interceptor.

    Bowser said D.C. has an emergency management response structure, including a number of offices and agencies in D.C. government.

    “I’m at the top of that structure,” Bowser said.

    She added that when it came to the District’s emergency declaration: “This one is a little bit different, because the lead responding agency is not a D.C. government agency, but a quasi-government agency.”

    According to the D.C. Water website, the agency has been in contact with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Maryland Department of the Environment, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the District Department of Energy and the Environment, the Maryland Governor’s Office and other regional officials as the repairs continue.

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    © 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Kate Ryan

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  • DC Water looks toward long-term cleanup of C&O Canal, Potomac River – WTOP News

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    Later this week, DC Water expects to begin excavating near the collapsed section of the Potomac Interceptor sewer line to assess the damage to the pipe and remove boulders wedged inside. At the same time, plans for long-term cleanup are coming together. 

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    See what’s keeping sewage spill away from Potomac River

    D.C. Water is making long-term plans to cleanup land near the C&O Canal — as well as the Potomac River. (WTOP/Neal Augenstein)

    Later this week, D.C. Water expects to begin excavating near the collapsed section of the Potomac Interceptor sewer line, to assess the damage to the pipe and remove boulders wedged inside.

    At the same time, plans for long-term cleanup are coming together.

    It’s been about a month since the Jan. 19 break, which spilled millions of gallons of untreated wastewater into the Potomac River. The utility is prioritizing emergency repairs and beginning to develop long-term plans to clean up land near the C&O Canal — as well as the Potomac River.

    As of Wednesday morning, D.C. Water has installed six of seven high-capacity pumps, a few hundred yards above the collapse site, under the exit ramp off the American Legion Bridge onto the Clara Barton Parkway.

    The pumps are diverting sewage from above the collapse point to an isolated section of the C&O Canal, to bypass the break, before being steered back into the Interceptor below the damaged pipe.

    This week, after blocking wastewater flow to the collapse site, D.C. Water will finally be able to see the extent of the damage, remove the rock dam and replace the pipe. The utility estimated it will be 4 to 6 weeks until normal flow is returned to the Interceptor.

    “I think the best thing D.C. Water can do right now is to get that emergency repair done, so that we eliminate the risk of overflow, and can eliminate the use of that bypass system,” said D.C. Water spokeswoman Sherri Lewis, echoing the priorities of CEO David Gadis, in a Feb. 11 open letter.

    Nearby, the smell of sewage is obvious, and visual evidence of the spill, including toilet paper, hangs on underbrush in the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park.

    “This is one of the areas, obviously, that we are working on, as far as our environmental restoration plans,” Lewis said.

    “We’re working with our federal, state and local regulators on what that environmental restoration plan will entail, and we’ll start that work as soon as we get that plan approved, and we’ll certainly release that to the public.”

    Earlier this week, President Donald Trump said the Federal Emergency Management Agency will play a key role in coordinating the response.

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    © 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Neal Augenstein

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  • What Potomac sewage spillage means for drinking water

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    A collapse in the Potomac Interceptor sewer line sent over 200 million gallons of waste water into the Potomac River, prompting recreation advisories while officials said the region’s drinking water remained safe.

    According to DC Water, a section of the 54‑mile Potomac Interceptor sewer line collapsed on January 19 along Clara Barton Parkway in Montgomery County, causing a major overflow into the C&O Canal National Historical Park. The line normally carries about 60 million gallons of wastewater each day from areas including Dulles Airport to D.C.’s Blue Plains treatment plant.

    DC Water said crews quickly moved to build a bypass, which went into service on January 24, using pumps and the C&O Canal to divert flow around the damaged segment.

    Is the Potomac River Drinking Water Safe?

    “It’s important to note, DC Water’s drinking water system is separate from the wastewater system, and we want to reassure the public the drinking water is safe, and water service is NOT affected by this incident,” DC Water said.

    “The overflow is downstream from the Washington Aqueduct’s (Aqueduct) intakes at Great Falls. In coordination with the Aqueduct, the intakes are also closed at Little Falls downstream.” 

    A spokesperson for the agency reiterated to Newsweek on Tuesday that drinking water is not, nor ever was, impacted by the incident, and that the water and sewer systems are separate.

    “We have been coordinating with U.S. EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] since the Potomac Interceptor collapsed and appreciate the ongoing support and counsel they have provided. Just last week, we hosted the Assistant Administrator for Water for a tour of the site and briefing on the project and the progress made to date. Our operations team set up a bypass to reroute wastewater around the broken section and limit overflows to the Potomac River,” the spokesperson said.

    “Additional pumps have been installed this week to allow for the excavation of the damaged section to remove a rock dam and allow us to make emergency repairs to the pipe. While repairs are on track for completion within 4–6 weeks, this incident underscores the urgent challenge of aging infrastructure. Continued regional and federal partnership can help restore and strengthen one of the most critical water assets in the region.

    “DC Water stands ready to work together to protect our shared national treasure, the Potomac River,” they added.

    The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) said that Fairfax is the closest Virginia community that draws its main water supply from the Potomac River. Its intake point sits several miles upstream from where the spill entered the river, placing it outside the affected area.

    Potomac River Sewage Spillage Mapped

    DC Water released a map showing the spill site and the six locations where E. coli sampling has been underway. The agency said crews are concentrating on clearing debris from the broken pipe so repair work can begin. It also noted that cleanup and remediation planning is in its early stages, with efforts expected to focus on affected areas such as the canals and the Potomac River. Those measures will be developed in coordination with federal, state, and local partners, it said.

    The VDH has issued a recreational water advisory for the river “out of an abundance of caution” due to the spill and a subsequent discharge report on February 7—the area which extends 72.5 miles from the American Legion Memorial Bridge (I-495) in Fairfax County to the Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge (Route 301) in King George County, it said.

    “VDH has observed no evidence of impacts to drinking water at this time,” read a February 13 press release from the agency.

    What People Are Saying

    DC Water CEO David L. Gadis said in an open letter: “We recognize that describing response actions and infrastructure details does not erase the environmental impact or the concern this incident caused. For those who live near the river, recreate on it, or work every day to protect it, witnessing this unfold was distressing. We hear that clearly.

    “This incident has also underscored a broader reality facing utilities across the country: much of the infrastructure that protects our waterways was built decades ago, long before today’s environmental standards, population growth, and climate pressures. The Potomac Interceptor – more than 60 years old – is a critical regional asset, conveying wastewater from across the metropolitan area to the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant. Its failure reinforces why sustained investment and vigilance are essential.”

    President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday: “There is a massive Ecological Disaster unfolding in the Potomac River.”

    An EPA spokesperson told The Hill: “DC Water is responsible for responding to the Potomac Interceptor collapse, and there is currently no impact to drinking water systems. EPA inspectors are visiting the site every week to perform compliance monitoring, and EPA will continue to coordinate with DC Water to ensure their efforts are sufficient.”

    What Happens Next

    DC Water said Monday that its crews and contractors were “nearing completion of an enhanced bypass system that will allow emergency repairs to begin on a damaged section of the Potomac Interceptor.”

    “The emergency repair is expected to take another 4-6 weeks once the enhanced bypass system is activated ,” it said.

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  • Progress at Potomac sewer collapse but overflow risk remains, DC Water says – WTOP News

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    D.C. Water boosts pumping power and activates a third flume at the Potomac sewer break, but warns overflow risk remains until a rock dam is removed.

    D.C. Water is touting new pumping capacity and a third active flume as signs of progress at the site of the massive Potomac sewer pipe break, even as the utility warns the threat of another overflow won’t subside until a rock dam inside the damaged pipe is removed.

    D.C. Water said Sunday that crews increased pumping power and activated a third wastewater flume while preparing a steel bulkhead that would let crews reach and remove the rock obstruction inside the broken Potomac Interceptor.

    All four new high‑capacity bypass pumps recently installed are now fully primed and operational, which D.C. Water said boosts overall flow capacity and reliability as crews manage higher volumes tied to rainfall and melting snow and ice.

    The utility said the third flume near Lock 10 is now sending wastewater back into the interceptor, adding redundancy to the temporary bypass system.

    D.C. Water said three more bypass pumps have arrived on site and can be brought online later this week to add more capacity if needed.

    Fabrication of a steel bulkhead is nearly finished, with installation expected late next week. Once installed, D.C. Water said the bulkhead will block flow into the damaged section of pipe, allowing crews to stabilize surrounding ground, remove the rock dam inside the interceptor and begin permanent repair work.

    While the utility said there were no overflow events over the weekend that reached surface waters, it continues to warn that overflow potential remains until the obstruction is removed and typical flow conditions are restored.

    D.C. Water said it will continue to publish water‑quality sampling results online once available.

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    © 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Matt Small

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  • Virginia health officials warn to avoid contact with Potomac River due to sewage spill – WTOP News

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    Three weeks after a 72-inch sewage pipe burst along the Clara Barton Parkway, the Virginia Department of Health issued a recreational water advisory Friday telling residents to avoid using D.C.’s main waterway.

    Do not go into the Potomac River.

    Three weeks after a 72-inch sewage pipe burst along the Clara Barton Parkway, the Virginia Department of Health issued a recreational water advisory Friday telling residents to avoid using D.C.’s main waterway.

    Hundreds of millions of gallons of raw sewage spilled into the Potomac starting on Jan. 19 before crews were able to contain the overflow. The area of contamination was just inside the Beltway along the C&O Canal in Montgomery County, Maryland and extended into Virginia. It was considered the largest spill of wastewater in U.S. history.

    With reports of E. coli levels thousands of times higher than the recommended limit for human contact, VDH issued the advisory about river contamination along a 72.5 mile stretch that includes the Northern Virginia area of the Potomac.

    Cleanup is expected to take four to six weeks longer than anticipated and has been marred by setbacks.

    VDH says there is no evidence of impacts to drinking water at this time.

    The advisory says to prevent recreational water illnesses due to exposure to the sewage spill, people should avoid contact with water in the advisory area and should follow advice posted on signs near river access points.

    Residents also need to avoid any area of the water where you smell a foul odor or see dead or dying fish or discolored water. If you do come into contact, wash skin immediately with soap and water and wash any items that come into contact with the water, according to the advisory.

    “When harvesting fish or crabs, discard skin, organs, cook the meat to proper temperature, and clean cutting boards and cutting implements with warm soapy water,” the advisory states.

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    © 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Diane Morris

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  • Massive sewage spill into Potomac River: What’s in the water, what are the risks rise as ice melts? – WTOP News

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    Questions are being raised about whether D.C. is downplaying the health risks and ongoing environmental damage caused by a sewage pipe that ruptured, sending millions of gallons of wastewater in the Potomac River.

    D.C. Water says new high-capacity bypass pumps are expected to arrive Friday at the site of last month’s sewer pipe break that has poured millions of gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac River.

    However, questions are being raised about whether the public is being adequately informed about health risks and ongoing environmental damage.

    In an open letter this week, D.C. Water CEO David Gaddis resolved to do everything possible to reclaim the Potomac, following the initial Jan. 17 failure of a 72-inch sewer pipe, known as the Potomac Interceptor.

    But data collected by researchers suggests the D.C. government may be downplaying the dangers of the spill, according to a local environmentalist with the Potomac Riverkeeper nonprofit.

    Researchers with the University of Maryland say they’ve been testing the water once a week since Jan. 21.

    “Even last week we’re still measuring E.coli 4,000 times above recreational water quality standards,” said Rachel Rosenberg Goldstein, a professor at the University of Maryland’s Department of Global, Environmental and Occupational Health.

    “We’ve also detected Staphylococcus aureus and the antibiotic resistant strain of staph aureus, which is called MRSA,” Goldstein told WTOP’s Nick Iannelli.

    The findings pose a substantial danger to humans, Goldstein said.

    “It’s really important for public health, because people who interact with the water, and potentially with the lands that was impacted by the water, could become infected with those bacteria,” Goldstein said.

    The recent ice has frozen the risk in place, but warmer weather could exacerbate the situation.

    “Bacteria can survive in a lot of different types of environments,” Goldstein said. “Wastewater sewage is a type of environment that’s very favorable for bacteria growth. So especially as we see the temperature changing and we see the snow following, it’s really important that we continue to follow what’s happening with the water quality over time.”

    Potomac Riverkeeper: DC is ‘sitting on its hands’

    The gravity of the public health and environmental risk is being underplayed, according to Dean Naujoks, Potomac Riverkeeper, which is part of the nonprofit network dedicated to protecting the public’s right to clean, safe water in the Potomac and Shenandoah watersheds.

    “Everybody keeps deferring to D.C. Water, and it’s a huge mistake,” said Naujoks, claiming the utility has downplayed risks, and miscalculated early E.coli findings, now saying they were actually 100 times higher than initially reported.

    Naujoks believes local and federal governments have been lax in providing leadership in raising public awareness.

    “D.C. is kind of sitting on its hands,” he said.

    Naujoks said the Environmental Protection Agency and the D.C. Office of Energy and the Environment have regulatory oversight of D.C. Water, which he referred to as “the entity that caused one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history.”

    “D.C. Water should not be in this role because they have a vested interest to assure the public that the water is safe,” he said.

    Long-term, he said “If they’re going to restore confidence in people coming back to the water — with crew teams and sailing clubs — we need data, we need sampling, and D.C. is going to have to pay for that to restore the public’s confidence and faith in the Potomac River.”

    On Thursday, D.C.’s Department of Energy and Environment issued its strongest advisory: “Residents and pets should not touch the Potomac River, or engage in any Potomac recreational activities including fishing. D.C. drinking water remains safe and unaffected.”

    In addition, the agency said it is “testing contamination levels at three Potomac River sites and three Anacostia River sites. In addition, D.C. Water is testing five other sites. DOEE testing will continue on a weekly basis and results will be made publicly available.”

    WTOP’s Jessica Kronzer contributed to this report.

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    © 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Neal Augenstein

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  • DC Water CEO addresses community in wake of massive sewage spill – WTOP News

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    DC Water CEO David Gaddis resolved to do everything possible to reclaim the Potomac River after last month’s disastrous sewer pipe break, he said in an open letter to the community Wednesday.

    D.C. Water CEO David Gaddis resolved to do everything possible to reclaim the Potomac River after last month’s disastrous sewer pipe break, he said in an open letter to the community Wednesday.

    The failure in a section of a 72-inch sewer pipe, known as the Potomac Interceptor, resulted in the release of hundreds of millions of gallons of raw sewage into the river just inside the Beltway along the C&O Canal in Montgomery County, Maryland. It’s considered the largest spill of wastewater in U.S. history.

    “The Potomac River is a shared natural treasure, and any event that threatens its health understandably causes concern, frustration, and a sense of loss. Those feelings are not only valid — but they are also shared by all of us at DC Water,” Gaddis said in the letter.

    The letter went onto explain that on Jan. 19, crews noticed unusual activity in security cameras monitoring an odor control facility along the C&O Canal. Upon inspection, crews discovered the break.

    In the days since the discovery, D.C. Water personnel and contractors worked to “contain the overflow, protect public safety, and begin repairs.”

    A bypass system was constructed to pump waste around the damaged area of the pipe and reinsert it into a section of the structure downstream.

    Complicating the repairs was the discovery last week of a large rock dam blocking a significant section of the pipe about 30 feet south of the break. D.C. Water is waiting for five large capacity pumps to arrive from Texas and Florida to increase pumping capacity. They then plan to build a bulkhead near the break to divert more water so workers can safely remove the boulders.

    D.C. Water expects this to take up to an extra six weeks to accomplish.

    Gaddis noted that DC Water will be dedicating resources not only to the repairs but also to an environmental restoration program to mitigate the damage that’s already been done.

    The letter detailed a $625 million investment to rehabilitate the Potomac Interceptor as part of a 10-year, $10 billion Capital Improvement Program.

    Gaddis pointed out that several tunnels they’ve built along the Northeast Boundary, and are currently building along the Potomac, have resulted in billions of gallons of combined sewage being prevented from entering the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers through the utility’s Clean Rivers Project.

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    Alan Etter

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  • Anacostia High School closed after sewage spill floods boiler room, kitchen – WTOP News

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    Anacostia High School students were dismissed early at noon on Monday due to a sewage spill that flooded the school over the weekend.

    Anacostia High School students were dismissed early at noon on Monday due to a sewage spill that flooded the school over the weekend.

    In a letter sent home to families on Monday, Principal Kenneth Walker wrote that while work was underway for DC Water’s Capital Improvement Program in the area, a water and sewage backup occurred, pumping raw sewage into the school and at least 10 nearby homes on Fairlawn Avenue SE.

    A spokesperson from DC Water told WTOP in an email that the incident occurred on Sunday “due to a pump malfunction during work on the Anacostia Main Interceptor.”

    “We deeply regret the inconvenience this has caused and are providing temporary housing for affected residents while the cleanup is completed,” they said. “Additional steps are being taken to investigate and address the cause of the pump failure and prevent future issues.”

    Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Tom Donohue said in a video on Facebook that at one point there was over six feet of raw sewage inside one of the school’s elevator shafts. He pointed out that the basement of the school flooded, as well as its cafeteria and kitchen.

    “This will be sanitized and cleaned. All the stuff that had touched boxes or anything that could have seeped the spores of the sewage will be thrown away. It’s a lot of work to do,” Donohue said.

    In the background of the video, Walker can be heard saying that students were to be evacuated and would receive their phones and eat lunch outside.

    The school was cleared to remain open on Monday with the kitchen and cafeteria out of service, but school leaders made the decision to dismiss students early due to “lingering odors in the building.”

    The school’s day care and after school services and activities were also canceled and closed. The school remained closed on Tuesday.

    At a community meeting on Tuesday night, Donohue confirmed to WTOP that Anacostia High families received word that students will return to classes but at nearby Kramer Middle School at 8:15 a.m.

    “This will be a significant shift in our learning environment, so we have worked alongside Kramer’s school leader, Principal (Katreena) Shelby, to plan and ensure a successful day for all our scholars,” Principal Walker wrote in an email Tuesday night.

    SERVPRO services were contracted to clean, disinfect and dry out the impacted areas of the high school. Walker added that contractors from the Department of General Services and officials from DC Water are using air scrubbers and dehumidifiers to “remove excess moisture … and mitigate odors in the building.”

    Once the cleaning and sanitization is complete, they will conduct air quality tests, Walker wrote.

    “We remain eager to return to our building as soon as we receive the all-clear to do so,” he said.

    Alan Salas, a project manager and civil engineer with DC Water, also spoke at the Tuesday night meeting, sharing information about the Fairlawn project. He said the pump failure is still under investigation.

    “That’s part of our planning, to make sure that nothing like this occurs. But it seems that we still don’t know what the issue was,” he said. “For some reason, those pumps didn’t turn on.”

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    Ciara Wells

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