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23h ago

Potomac Sewage Spill Repairs Set for Nine Months as Bulkhead Work Advances

Health agencies warn residents to avoid the river as containment remains partial.

Water samples are taken from the Potomac River, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026 in Glen Echo, Md. A massive pipe that moves millions of gallons of sewage has ruptured and sent wastewater flowing into the Potomac River northwest of Washington, polluting it ahead of a major winter storm that has repair crews scrambling. (AP Photo/Nathan Ellgren)
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Potomac River Keeper Dean Naujoks, holds a biohazard collection bag while standing alongside the site where a massive pipe rupture has sent sewage spilling into the Potomac River, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026 in Glen Echo, Md. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
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Overview

  • DC Water briefed Maryland lawmakers that roughly 243 million gallons of raw sewage have spilled since the Jan. 19 Potomac Interceptor collapse, a volume described by officials as likely the largest U.S. wastewater spill on record.
  • Crews are constructing a bulkhead near I-495 over four to six weeks and increasing temporary pump capacity by about 100 million gallons per day to isolate the break, with small overflows possible until flows return to the interceptor.
  • Permanent repairs using a sliplining process are projected to take about nine months after isolation, with full restoration of service likely late in 2026.
  • Public health advisories remain in effect: Virginia’s health department urges people to avoid a 72.5-mile stretch of the river; Maryland maintains a precautionary shellfish closure and recreational warnings, and officials report no impact to drinking water to date.
  • Sampling near the overflow shows very high E. coli levels far above recreational standards, researchers have also detected Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA, and an added 600,000-gallon overflow on Feb. 8 was blamed on pump clogs from non-disposable wipes.