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28m ago

Potomac Sewage Spill Repairs Stretch Into Weeks as DC Water Corrects E. Coli Data

DC Water says repairs will stretch for weeks due to a rock blockage requiring high-capacity pumps.

Raw sewage flowing alongside the Clara Barton Parkway and into the Potomac River after a massive sewage pipe ruptured in Glen Echo, Md., Friday, Jan. 23, 2026.
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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Overview

  • A January 19 collapse of the 60‑year‑old Potomac Interceptor unleashed an estimated 243–300 million gallons of raw sewage into the river and C&O Canal, which researchers and advocates describe as one of the largest U.S. wastewater spills.
  • DC Water acknowledged a major reporting error, revising a key E. coli sample from 2,420 to 242,000 MPN/100mL, and said added quality controls are now in place as daily sampling continues.
  • A newly discovered rock dam about 30 feet from the break is delaying work; the utility is importing large pumps, planning a bulkhead, and estimates at least four to six more weeks before major repairs advance.
  • Containment has been complicated by winter conditions and a Feb. 8 overflow blamed on nonflushable wipes clogging pumps, which added several hundred thousand gallons to the spill.
  • Officials issued health advisories and closed some shellfish areas, while reiterating regional drinking water is safe, and DC Water announced an Environmental Restoration Plan and a $625 million commitment to rehabilitate the interceptor.